Where They Wait For Him
by Aoi Hyoudou
Summary: DISCONTINUED!
1. Author's Note I: Preparations!

**Upcoming Sequel to **_**Two Who Were Never Meant To Meet? **_**OMG!**

**Author's Note!**

_You guys must be really, really, REALLY happy that I am doing a sequel for __**Two Who Were Never Meant To Meet**__, huh? Well, so am I! I keep getting reviews that you Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts fans want a sequel because you want to see Ash and Aqua end up together. Then so be it! The ideas for the story are there, but the development stages are not. But do not worry the first chapter for it will be up as soon as possible. If I add this story along with my other three current ones, the updates will be at a slow pace. I do not know if I should bring this story up now, but I know most of you guys are getting tired of waiting. Therefore, it is up to you guys if you want to really, really, REALLY read it. Other than that, I am happy to please your needs. Thanks for being a loyal viewer of my stories! I really, REALLY appreciate it! For now, here is some information about the story! You can say it is like a sneak preview!_

**The Story Plot!**

_Ash's world has fallen to the darkness due to the Heartless and now fate has taken him onto an adventure where he must save many worlds from the forces of evil. But at some point, fate will lead Ash to the one he first loved, Aqua. He will encounter new friends, new foes, and new worlds! Can Ash handle it? We will have to wait and see if he is capable of doing so!_

**What will Ash Receive? **

_The question still remains…What kind of powers/abilities /forms will Ash receive? Well, that is simple!_

****Aura****

_*Manipulating* (Capable to form Aura spheres, barriers, heal, transfer aura into other people, and sense aura presence)_

****Darkness****

_*Dark Manipulation* (Only when corrupted in rage! Capable to call upon and use the power of darkness to its fullest)_

****Mastery Of The Keyblade****

_*Key blade* (__Two Become One __because it looks cool and it fits when Ash uses the powers of darkness)_

_*Armor* (Just like Terra, Ven, Aqua, Eraqus. Ash is the fifth person to have this!)_

_*Glider* (Similar to Ven's Glider)_

****Forms****

_*Hyper Aura Mode* (Speed increases. His eyes are light blue with his pupils are lighting up like flaming torches. A small aura flame appears on his head,)_

_*Dying Aura Mode* (Speed and Power increases. Bears the similarities of the first form, but this time the flame on the head gets bigger and his hands, feet, and his weapon are engulfed by the aura flames.)_

_*God Aura Mode* (Only achieved when push to the limits. Rarely seen. A one-time deal! Dangerously to use. It strains the user's muscles and body parts to the limits. Speed, Power, Defense, and Abilities increases to 130%! Bears the similar of the second form, but this time his eyes/pupils are pure while and so as his flames. He gets a new outfit, unlike the other two forms. Plus, six angel-like wings on his back.)_

_*Dark Aura Mode* (Only achieved when corrupted in rage! Just looks like the second form. Speed, Defense, and Powers increases by 10. His eyes/pupils are bloody red with the flames are purple and black.)_

****Major/Minor Pairings****

_*Ash/Aqua**(IntertwineFateShipping!)_

_*Ash/Cynthia*(RayShipping! Brief mention of Cynthia, but too much!)_

_*One-sided Ash/Harem*_

_*One-sided other pairings*_

****Familiar Worlds And Characters** **_(Each visiting world will needs at least a villain!/boss! Note: Not all the original worlds will be used. However, they will be briefly mentioned!) _

_*Destiny Islands* _

*Sora*

*Riku*

*Kairi*

_*The Realm Of Rebirth*_

*Master Xehanort*

*Terranort*

*Xemnas*

_*The Realm Of Darkness*_

*Aqua*

*Ansem the Wise*

_*Disney Castle*_

*King Mickey*

*Queen Minnie*

*Daisy Duck*

*Donald Duck*

*Goofy*

*Pluto*

(? -villain)

_*Mysterious Tower*_

*Yen Sid*

(? -villain)

_*Keyblade Graveyard*_

*Vantias*

*Lingering Sentiment* _(Terra)_

_*Land of Departure* (Castle Oblivion) _

*Ventus*

(? - villain)

_*The World That Never Was*_

*Maleficent*

*Pete*

_*Twilight Town*_

*Hayner*

*Pence*

*Olette*

*Seifer*

*Fuu*

*Rai*

*Vivi*

Sazh _(New)_

Dajh _(New)_

(? - villain)

_*Radiant Garden* _

*Merlin*

*Cid*

*Leon*

*Aerith*

*Yuffie*

*Tifa*

*Cloud*

*Yuna, Rikku, and Paine*

*Stitch*

*Sephiroth*

*Snow* _(New)_

*Hope* _(New)_

(? - villain)

_*Land of Dragons*_

*Mulan*

*Li Shang*

*Mushu*

*Ling*

*Yao*

*Chien Po*

*The Emperor*

(? - villain)

_*Agrabah*_

*Aladdin*

*Jasmine*

*Genie*

*Abu*

*Iago*

*Carpet*

*The Peddler*

*Genie*

*Zidane* _(New)_

*Jafar*

(? -villain)

_*Halloween Town*_

*Jack Skellington*

*Sally*

*Dr. Finkelstein*

*Lock, Shock, and Barrel

*Zero*

*The Mayor*

*Santa Claus*

*Oogie Boogie*

(? - villain)

_*Olympus Coliseum*_

*Hades*

*Pain and Panic*

*Cerberus*

*Hydra*

(Dark Aqua - villain) _(New)_

*Hercules*

*Philoctetes*

*Megara*

*Pegasus*

*Lightning* _(New)_

*Serah* _(New)_

*Auron*

*Zack*

_*Wonderland*_

*Alice*

*Queen of Hearts*

*White Rabbit*

*Cheshire Cat*

*Card Soldiers*

*Doorknob*

(? - villain)

_*Monstro*_

*Pinocchio*

Gepetto*

(? - villain)

_*Resident Evil 5* __(Kijuju, Africa) _- suggested by _Batthan _

*Chris Redfield*

*Sheva Alomar*

*Josh Stone*

*Jill Valentine*

*Albert Wesker*

*Excella Gionne*

(The Executioner - villain)

?

?

?

_(Note: If you have noticed by now, I am adding in four more worlds. One of my favorite readers has suggested one. I need three more worlds. If anyone has any suggestions on which game, anime, or Disney world he/she would like to see, please do not hesitate to suggest them. Oh, by the way, most of the world needs at least a boss fight. If you have any suggestion of any villain you would like to see, please suggest them as well.)_

**Well, that is it for now. I hope you guys like what you just read. It is going to be an interesting story. I am looking forward to doing this story! Keep an eye for it!**

**P.S. Happy New Year! ^_^**

**Johan07!**


	2. The Trial of Awakening: Now It Begins!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ash Ketchum from Pokemon nor do I own characters from Square Enix, Disney, Biohazard, or any other company. _

_**Fandom: **__Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts_

_**Title**__: Where They Wait For Him! The Trial of Awakening: Now It Begins!_

_**Character (s): **__Ash (18) _

_**Genre (s): **__Angst/Tragedy/Hurt & Comfort_

_**Rated: **__T_

_**Word Count: **2,988_

_**Pairing (s): **__Ash/Aqua, Ash/Cynthia, One-sided Ash/Harem, and One-sided Other Pairings_

_**Summary: **__Ash's world has fallen to the darkness due to the Heartless and now fate has taken him onto an adventure where he must save many worlds from the forces of evil. But at some point, fate will lead Ash to the one he first loved, Aqua. He will encounter new friends, new foes, and new worlds! Can Ash handle it? We will have to wait and see if he is capable of doing so!_

**Where They Wait For Him! The Trial of Awakening: Now It Begins!**

_目覚めの試み：今これが始まる！_

_Darkness…_

All he can see is…the darkness….the same darkness that swallow up Mother Earth and stole everything from him.

_His world…_

_His master…_

_His mother…_

_His friends…_

_His best bud in the world…_

_And most of all…the one who loved him with all of her heart…Cynthia…_

They were all gone. Everything that was precious to him…gone from the existence and it is all because of him. It was his fault….it was his fault that he let everything happen before his eyes. There was no way he could ever forgive himself. Forgive himself for letting those close to him down. He was a sorry excuse of a person. He was so weak. Not even the god of his world could ever forgive him. His duty as the Chosen One, the protector of all living things was a failure. He let every single soul down, including himself. He was a sad disappointment. Maybe he should just let the darkness consume what's left of his miserable life and that way his existence as…

…_a champion…_

… _an Aura Master…_

…_a hero…_

…_a savior…_

…_a human being…_

…_and best of all… Ash Ketchum…_

…can no longer be alive.

As he slowly drifts into the dark void of emptiness, the last thing he can whisper out of his mouth was…

"I'm…sorry…Cynthia…"

Slowly and slowly, the former trainer drifts further into the depths of darkness. While the broken young man continues to float within the dark void of emptiness, there were hints that Ash was in a major battle before he was dragged into the void by a dark swarm known as the Heartless. His young face, cheeks, and arms were all scratch up. Little trails of blood were leaking out from them. His sleeveless, blue and white hoodie with a golden Poke' ball in the center, was rip and torn from different places. The same goes with his grayish pants. They were torn and ripped as well. Even his traditional cap looks battered and torn. It must have been an intense battle if he looks like crap.

Things did not look too well for the former prince of Radiant Garden. His pupils were all cloudy, hinting that was no sign of life within Ash's entire body at all. As if he has lost the will to live on. His emotionless expression tells it all. All seems lost for Ash.

Just as all hope and light was leaking out from Ash's soul, a spark of miracle appeared. In the mist of darkness, a small ball of dim light with something inside lowers itself towards the fallen hero. What was it? A sign of hope? Maybe.

Slowly and slowly, the mysterious orb of light makes its way to the broken Master of Aura. It is unknown if the former prince was paying any attention to orb of light or what. One thing was for sure and that was…Ash was not making any effort to move a muscle.

As the strange orb was hovering a few inches above the fallen prince's body, something unexpected happen.

"_**Ash…"**_

What the? Did that orb of light just spoke? More or less, did it just call out Ash's name? Weird. The young hero would have thought the same thing if he was not in a terrible slump right now. There was no sign of Ash responding to the strange orb.

"_**Ash…" **_The orb of light spoke up yet again. _**"I'm sorry…" **_Sorry? The ball of light must be giving the young teen some sympathy for his grief and sorrow. But why? **"**_**I'm sorry for everything that happen to you…"**_

Still no response.

"_**I know you can't hear me and I don't blame you." **_The orb of light was trying its best to get through the broken soul's mind. _**"I know that you are in pain, but…this isn't the time to give up."**_

"…"

"_**It's unlike you to give up. You are too stubborn to do so. I should know because I was there with you long ago to witness your stubbornness at first hand." **_The orb of light told Ash in a slight muse tone. However, that did not change anything. Ash still refuses to make any contact with the shiny ball of light. This slightly disappointed the orb.

**_"Oh, come on, Ash. Don't tell me you don't know who this is?" _**A girlish giggle escaped from the strange orb. Oh, so a female voice has been talking to him this whole time. Figures. Not only that, the voice sounded a bit familiar.

"…"

Now, a sigh escaped from the orb. _**"It's a shame…It's too bad I cannot come in person and refresh your memory, but maybe I can do something else much better." **_What did the female orb thing mean by that?

Suddenly, the orb of light flashed brightly for a couple of seconds before the beaming light disappeared. Soon, a familiar, white star-shaped charm took the ball of light's place. That charm…it was the same charm that…his first love, Aqua made for him. This cannot be. What does this mean? Ash's cloudy eyes suddenly show a small glimpse of life. Maybe this was still hope for him after all.

As the former trainer continues to stare at his floating charm before him, a warm sensation of hope and light started to reform within his soul. The more he stares at the star-shaped charm, the more good fond memories of his past about Aqua started to resurface within him. Ash can remember those words she told him when she gave him that charm.

_No matter how far we are from apart, this charm symbolizes our connection. Our hearts are connected. _

Those were her final words to him. Remembering her last words brought back some shrine of emotions into him. His golden-brownish eyes started to tear up. Small trails of wet tears started to flow down from his eyes. Was Aqua right? No matter how far they were apart from each other, their hearts was always connected. Does that mean her spirit was with him this whole time for the past twelve years? Maybe. Either way, Ash cannot stop crying because he was happy that he was not alone at the moment. He thought he lost everyone he cared about, but hearing _her _voice made him reconsider about that.

"Aq-Aq-…Aqua…"

"_**Finally!" **_Aqua's voice giggled from the floating charm. **_"Took you long enough." _**Her voice teased her first love.

Ash did not say anything at first. He was so happy to hear her lovely voice. But why now? Why did he suddenly hear her voice at a time like this? Was he being delusional? Maybe.

"_**Sorry if this isn't a happy reunion for us both, Ash…"**_Aqua's voice brought Ash back into reality. _**"I wish I was there in your time of need, but I can't. I'm a little preoccupied at the moment." **_A sad sigh escaped from the charm. _**"However, the least I can do for you right now is to be with you in spirit." **_Her tone was filled with warm and comfort.

The former prince did not know what to say. He cannot think of anything to say at this moment. However, there was one thing that's been bothering him since the moment came to him and that was… "H-How a-are you-…."

"_**How am I speaking to you?" **_Aqua's voice finishes his sentence with a soft giggle. Ash slowly nodded. _**"That's easy. As I said before, our hearts are connected. The charm I gave you had a portion of my life source in it. Thus, in a way…allowed us to connect to each other in spirit."**_

"H-Huh?"

"_**Don't worry. You will understand it someday, Ash." **_Another giggle escaped from the star charm. _**"But for right now, it's not important." **_Suddenly, the tone of her voice shifted into a different tone, a serious one I might add. **"**_**Ash, don't lose hope just yet. It is unlike you to do so. Do not give into the darkness of despair. There's a way to fix everything." **_

A light of hope beamed into Ash's soul. "R-Really?"

"_**Yes…but first…you need to promise me that no matter how bad things look, don't ever give into the darkness, all right?" **_

"I-I…promise…"

"_**Good. And besides, the darkness does not fit you. I like you just the way you are." **_Aqua's voice echoed with a giggle, causing her first love to slightly blush.

After a brief seconds, Aqua or her voice for that matter shifted back into the serious matter at hand. **"**_**Now that you promised. It's time to get down to some serious business."**_

"W-What do you mean, Aqua?" The descendant of the Aura Masters asked the voice.

"_**It's time to awaken your true self, Ash." **_Aqua's voice told him in a smoothing tone. Ash blinked confusedly. He still did not quite follow on what she meant by that.

"M-My…true…self?"

"_**That's right. Sure…you might be a descendant of the Aura Masters where your aura powers and abilities are still in the progress of evolving, but sadly, it will not be enough." **_The young raven-haired teen looks kinda offended by her words. What did she mean his aura abilities will not be enough? For that matter, not enough for what?

Before Ash could say anything about that, his first love's voice cut him off. _**"However, this is one good down side to all of this since it's you after all." **_Did Aqua find this slightly amusing when she said this? Maybe so. Ash, on the other hand, did not.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ash asked, frowning at floating charm while ignoring the pain of his battle wounds in the progress.

"_**Just think of it as a compliment. After all, you are the Chosen One." **_Aqua's voice told him with a giggle. The young man still did not look too convinced. _**"But anyway…you were born special. Not only gifted with the power of aura and its dark counter part, but also gifted in hopes to become a Keyblade Master."**_

"A Keyblade Master?" Ash looks bewilderment in hearing this. Ash did know a little bit about them. After all, his dear mother and his aura master, Riley, did mention about them before. From some point, his mother did mention that Aqua was one of them. "Just like…you?"

"_**Eventually." **_Aqua's voice quickly gave him a quick answer. _**"And maybe sooner than you less expected." **_A giggle escaped from the charm yet again.

"What?"

"_**There's no time to waste. Other people from other worlds will need your help to battle against the Heartless sooner than I expected." **_

"Other worlds? Heartless?" Ash still looks kinda baffled. Sure, he might have been from a different world, but he did not expected to be others out there as well. And what is the deal with the Heartless business?

"_**There's no time to explain. We need to start your first trial of awakening immediately. Save your questions afterwards." **_Aqua's voice told the dumbfounded candidate.

"Oh, uh…o…k…"

"_**Good." **_Suddenly, the star-shaped charm erupted in a blinding light. The light was so bright that causes the wounded and battered teen to shut his eyes.

Soon the shining light subsided. Once it did, Ash slowly opens his eyes. As his vision becomes clear, the former prince almost had a heart attack when he came face to face with Aqua…? No, it was not exactly Aqua herself. It was more like a ghostly spirit form of her since he can actually see through her. But still...spirit or not, her sudden appearance really surprised him. The gap between them was inches apart as the spirit was floating in front of him, face to face.

Their eyes locked at the moment. Ash could not believe it. The spirit took on the appearance of Aqua when he first met her when he was six. "Aqua…"

The ghostly girl smiles warmly at her soon-to-be successor. Before Aqua's spirit can say anything, she did a quick scan at the young man before her. Ash was pretty in a rough shape, but at least he is still conscious. Apart from that, the ghostly form took notice that her first love's raven hair was shorter now, but slightly messy with his torn up, traditional cap on top. His eye color was now more golden brown instead of being blackish brown. He still has those cute little Z's on his face. On his right ear was his small, blue crystal earring that was slightly cracked. Along with that, his outfit was clearly torn and ripped all over the place. It was pretty sad to see him in this condition. However, not for long.

The spirit form of Aqua returns her attention right back to Ash with a warm smile. "Don't worry, Ash…" She cooed, extending her right hand towards his right cheek and stroke it gently. The former prince could not feel her touch, but somewhat her action caused him to blush. "You'll be as good as new soon, but for right now I want you to rest. Once you open your eyes again, your first trail of awakening will soon begin, ok?"

"O-Ok…"

The female spirit looks pleased to hear his response. She stroked his cheeks a few more time before giving him a small kiss on the forehead. Before long, the former trainer's eyes slowly gotten heavy and then everything went black.

**A/N: How do you guys like it so far? I know Ash has it rough, but at least Aqua's spirit is there to guide him through. I hope you guys like the small moment between Ash/Aqua. IntertwineFateShipping all the way! I still like Ash/Cynthia shipping as well. Along with any Ash/Harem pairings, too. If you were curious, this story takes place one month after **_**Two Who Were Never Meant To Meet**_**'s epilogue. Now then, thanks for everyone who suggested ideas for the three remaining worlds. I really appreciate it. After looking over each suggestion, I have finally chosen the three worlds that will be added into the story along with Resident Evil 5. Just wait and see which suggestions did I picked. For now, I hope you like the first chapter. Please R & R! The second chapter is being work on as I speak. Until then. Peace out! ^_^**

**P.S. Remember the whole Aura Scar and the other whatnots from **_**Two Who Were Never Meant To Meet**_**? Well, it is going to be in this story as well. So be ready!**

**Johan07!**


	3. The Trial of Awakening: The First Trial!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ash Ketchum from Pokemon nor do I own characters from Square Enix, Disney, Biohazard, or any other company. _

_**Fandom: **__Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts_

_**Title**__: Where They Wait For Him! The Trial of Awakening: The First Trial!_

_**Character (s): **__Ash (18) _

_**Genre (s): **__Fantasy/Supernatural_

_**Rated: **__T_

_**Word Count: **4,771_

_**Pairing (s): **__Ash/Aqua, Ash/Cynthia, One-sided Ash/Harem, and One-sided Other Pairings_

_**Summary: **__Ash's world has fallen to the darkness due to the Heartless and now fate has taken him onto an adventure where he must save many worlds from the forces of evil. But at some point, fate will lead Ash to the one he first loved, Aqua. He will encounter new friends, new foes, and new worlds! Can Ash handle it? We will have to wait and see if he is capable of doing so!_

**Where They Wait For Him! The Trial of Awakening: The First Trial!**

_目覚めの試み：第一回の公判！_

"_**Ash…" **_A familiar voice echoed in the back of Ash's mind. _**"It's time to wake up. Don't be a lazy sleepyhead now." **_A giggle echoed in the back of his mind this time.

A soft groan escaped from Ash. The young descendant of the Aura Masters slowly opens his eyes as his vision became clear. Soon Ash took notice that he was lying flat on his belly on something hard. What in the world. When did this happen? Rather than asking that, he decided to move himself up into a sitting position. Once he was up and somewhat around, he glances around his surroundings and notice that it was somewhat the same. It was pitch black…like the darkness.

Ash sighed. He figures as much. Soon the sighing prince glanced downward and quickly noticed that he was sitting on a circular, stained-glass platform. "WHAT THE?"

The raven-haired young man quickly shot up and did a quick scan at the strange platform that he was standing on. The stained-glass platform was very beautiful and descriptive. To Ash's surprise, there were three familiar images on the platform and all three were female. One had red hair, the other one had brown hair with a green bandana, and the third one had long, silky blue hair. These three were definitely familiar.

'_Misty…May…Dawn?' _Ash had no clue whatsoever on why his former female traveling companions were on this platform. What in the heck was going on here? As he continues to gawk at the beautiful platform, he was fully unaware that his clothes were as good as new while his wounds were completely healed. After a few seconds later, he finally took notice of it. He was completely baffled. Who could have done this? He was good as new.

Suddenly, a thought came to him. The only person who could have done this was none other than… "AQUA!" Ash yelled out loud in realization. Soon the young prince glances around his surroundings in hopes to find the blue-haired woman. "Aqua, where are you?"

At first, Ash did not seem to get an answer. He started to get worry until he finally got one. _**"I'm all around you." **_

"What do you mean by that?" The former trainer glances around in confusion. "I don't see you." A giggle echoed within the air.

"_**Don't worry, you silly goose. You're not going to be alone." **_Aqua's voice echoed within his mind. Ash sighed in relief.

"That's good.." Soon curiosity came to him. "Where am I, Aqua?"

There was a moment of silence. In what way can Aqua put this in simplest terms for her soon-to-be apprentice to understand this? _**"Uh…well, it's kinda complicating to explain, but…let's just say that we are inside your heart as we speak."**_

"Inside my heart?" It sounded too unreal to believe. However, nothing is impossible.

"_**That's correct, Ash. And this place is part of your heart. You can only be here when you are asleep and no…do not even try to say that it is a dream or that you cannot get hurt. Don't presume anything." **_Aqua quickly beat Ash to the punch. _**"Like they say anything is possible."**_

"I see…"

"_**Now that you understand a little bit. It's time to move on." **_There was a brief second of silence before Aqua's voice continued. _**"There's a reason why you're here, Ash. You're here to take your Trial of Awakening." **_

"My Awakening…? Oh, yeah. You did mention it before." The young prince said in realization.

"_**That's right, Ash." **_Aqua giggled within his mind. _**"It's a trail that all Keyblader wielders like myself along with potential candidates must go through, in order to become an official, full-fledged Keyblade Master." **_

"But why me?" Ash questioned. Another giggle entered into his mind.

"_**It's because I have fate in you, Ash. I believe you are capable of passing the Trial of Awakening and maybe able to pass the Master Qualification Exam. After all, you're the Chosen One." **_This of course made Ash groaned.

"Don't call me that. I do not deserve that title. Not after what happen to everyone I let down…" The fallen Chosen One whispered sadly.

"_**Ash…" **_The fallen Keyblade Master did not mean to bring back a bad memory. She needed to change the subject fast. _**"Uh…um…are you ready to go through the trial, Ash? Once you pass the first trial, we can move onto the next step. Then afterwards, I will tell you everything you need to know." **_

After a brief moment of gathering up his thoughts and thinking over the possibility that maybe, just maybe…this opportunity will help him fix everything that happened before. Maybe…becoming a Keyblade Master will give him an extra boost to regain everything back from the darkness. It is a chance that he is willing to take. If being an Aura Master is not enough, according to Aqua, then he will just have to be a Keyblade Master as well. If it means to regain his planet, his friends, his mother, and especially his…girlfriend, Cynthia then he will do everything what it takes to get them back.

"Everyone…Cynthia…I will get you guys back no matter what…" Ash whispered softly.

"_**Ash?" **_Aqua's voice calls out to the distracted Chosen One. Ash still did not give her an answer to her question. _**"Are you ok? You still didn't answer my-…"**_

"I'm ready, Aqua!" Ash's spirit was fire up with enthusiasm. A giggle echoed within the air.

"_**Now that's Ash I came to know. Now that you accepted the trial. It is time to get things started. Good luck. Do not worry I will be watching you. Remember you are not alone. I will always be with you. As I said before our-…"**_

"Our hearts are connected. I know." A smile appeared on the young teen's face. One last giggle echoed within his mind.

"_**That's right." **_Aqua sounds pleased before her voice faded away.

Suddenly, Aqua's successor quickly turns his head to the right where he spots three pedestals in the center, each bearing a weapon. Ash was a bit taken back to see three pedestals appearing out of nowhere like that. Was this part of his first trial? Maybe so. Out of curiosity, Ash slowly walks over to the center and carefully studies each one of the weapons before him. After a few moments of pondering over his choices on which one he should choose, Ash finally decided to pick the Dream Sword since it clearly fits his description perfectly…well almost.

As soon as he made his choice, the pedestals suddenly vanished. Soon the stained-glass floor beneath him shattered into millions of pieces. Oh, boy. Soon Ash find himself let out a startled cry as he fell and fell until he easily landed onto a different stained-glass pillar. The pillar looks the same like the first one. However, this time it had three images of guys. They look awfully familiar. One had spiky, brown hair, the second one appears to be dark-tanned person with squinty eyes, and the third one appears to be wearing a familiar headband.

'_Gary…Brock…Tracey?' _

"_**There's no time to think, Ash. Your first test begins now. Get ready." **_Aqua's voice alerted her protégé to stay focus.

Suddenly, several shadowy-like creatures with glowing yellow eyes and twisted antennas emerged out from the stained-glass floor. Soon the shadowy creatures turned their attention to their target who was glaring hatefully at them. "It's YOU GUYS AGAIN!" The angry teen hissed. It seems like these shadowy creatures were responsible for Ash's misfortune.

"_**You need to relax. Don't be reckless." **_Ash took a deep breath. Aqua was right. He needed to stay calm. He cannot be reckless. _**"Now then, what will you do?" **_A chuckle escaped from the young teen's mouth. That is easy.

"I'm going to fight them head on." Ash said with confidence. Sure, he might not have any of his Pokemon on him right now. But that does not mean he is a pushover. He has other ways to fight. After all, Riley taught him in learning how to fight in combat as well, in learning how to master his aura powers and abilities.

Soon Ash moved his right hand and placed it on his chest. Next, he closed his eyes and relaxed his body, so he can concentrate on calling out his aura. "The aura is within me…" He whispered softly.

The next thing we know, Ash's body emitted a bright light blue, which made the evil creatures to move back a little bit. As the former trainer was busy channeling his aura, something else appeared. It was a strange large scar, but not just any strange scar. It was the Aura Scar. The strange, Inverted Eastern Cross-like scar appeared on the left side of his face and it was glowing the same color as his aura. Strange. But oh, well. That was not important right now.

Soon the light blue glow around Ash subsided. Once it did, the former protégé of Riley slowly placed his right hand to his side while keeping his eyes shut for a brief moment. A calm smile appeared on the young teen's handsome face.

The evil creatures were pretty dumbfounded on why their prey was just standing there. However, it did not matter to them what he was up to. He was their prey and it was time to devour his heart. The shadowy creatures now known as Shadows inched closer to Ash. Bad move.

Suddenly, Ash quickly shot open his now light blue eyes as a light blue katana appeared within his right hand. With no time to waste, the Aura Master unleashed a quick slash at his targets. The single blow took out all of his opponents. However, the battle was not over yet. It is just getting started.

Soon more Shadows popped out beneath the platform and started to lunge forward at Ash. The young swordsman was able to see this coming as he easily sidestepped their lame attempts. Easily, Ash took down the Shadows, one by one. Some of them tried to attack him from his blind spot. However, the former trainer quickly predicted their sneak attack as he jumped into the air.

Next thing we know it, Ash's left hand started to emit a bluish glow. Soon he placed his glowing hand at his targets and launched a barrage of aura spheres. Each sphere connected its target. The black monsters screamed in pain before dissolving in a shower of black particles.

After launching aura spheres at several Shadows, the katana wielder quickly landed on his feet before moving in to take down the remaining Shadows with quick combo attacks. These creatures were not much of a fight. Ash was hardly breaking a sweat with them.

Once the Aura Master took out the remaining three Shadows, more started to appear. Ash sighed in frustration. This was a never-ending battle. However, the former trainer did not have time to complain. He moves in to deal with the newly bunch.

After what it seems like an eternity, the battle with the Shadows finally came to a halt for the time being. Ash can finally sigh in relief. However, the battle did not leave him unscathed. He had minor scratches all over his body. But that did not bother him at the very least.

As Ash was busy glancing around his surroundings to make sure no more Shadows would appear, a familiar voice came into the picture. _**"Nicely done, Ash." **_Ash was slightly startled when he heard Aqua's voice in his mind again. _**"Now you can move forward." **_What did she mean by that?

Suddenly, a transparent, stained-glass pathway appeared to the left of him. So that is what Aqua meant by that. With no hesitation, Ash quickly took the path and move forward onto his next objective. Along the way, more Shadows appeared, but they were easily dealt with by Ash.

Once the black beings were done being dealt with, the young swordsman find himself standing on another stained-glass pillar, but this time it had images of an old man in a white lab coat, a young woman, and a yellow creature with a lightning bolt-shaped tail. Immediately, Ash quickly recognized these three figures.

'_Professor Oak…Mom…Pikachu…' _

Unfortunately, the former native of Kanto did not have time to grief over them. Suddenly, Shadows appeared and surrounded him. The young teen sighed dejectedly. Not again.

After a few minutes of dealing with the Heartless, Ash find himself slightly exhausted from the nonstop battles against these black creatures. His breathing was slightly heavy. His Aura Scar started to act up. The young teen slightly winced in pain when his scar started to bleed in a reddish color. It was reacting to his condition. He needed to do something to rejuvenate his aura or else the pain will get worse.

The scarred teen finds himself digging into one of his pants' pockets in hopes to find something. He sighed dejectedly when he find nothing. _'I guess I just have to move forward without my aura pills for the time being.' _

Suddenly, Ash heard a loud noise that sounded like something was cracking. The exhausted teen glanced around to see nothing out of the ordinal until his eyes fell onto the floor. It was starting to crack and fast. Soon the entire pillar beneath him shattered into millions of pieces. As it happened before, Ash finds himself letting out a startled cry as he was falling. The former trainer continues to fall into the darkness until he softly landed onto another stained-glass pillar that had images of a few people he was not quite familiar with.

The first image reveals to be a young boy with spiky, brown hair in a black and silver jumpsuit, which is baggy like his old outfit, but with more zippers. Around his neck was a necklace that looks like a crown of somewhat.

The second image next to the young boy appears to be another boy who is a little older with long, silver hair in a black zip-up tank top and a white and yellow vest over it.

The third image next to him appears to be the only female who looks very familiar to Ash. She has long, dark red hair with violent-blue eyes in a pink strapless mini-dress. Around her neck was a small necklace, similar to the one he usually wears. There was definitely something about her. What was it?

Moving on, the other three images were pretty strange to Ash. It was a duck, a dog, and somewhat a mouse with big rounded ears. These three creatures were somewhat familiar to Ash as well. Strange.

However, the young teen did not have much time to study the stained-glass images some more. Soon he can hear Aqua's voice in his head again. _**"The final part of your first trial is now at hand. Get ready, Ash." **_Aqua's voice told him. _**"Get ready to face your fiercest enemy…" **_

The former prince glanced around his surroundings when Aqua said that. He spotted nothing, but empty darkness. There was nothing out of the ordinary. The only thing he can see is his own shadow, which was moving around and getting bigger. Wait…what?

Suddenly, a pair of bloody red eyes was glaring at him hatefully from his shadow. Soon Ash's shadow grew in height and took on a form of massive, muscular humanoid with black skin. Its head is covered in dozens of twisted, black tentacles. Was this behemoth Ash's final objective? More or less, did it really come from him?

'_Did that thing came from me? Does that mean I have to fight my inner darkness?' _Ash thought nervously.

Knowing to the nervous teen, the massive creature was glaring at him with its small, bloody red eyes. The young teen slightly took a step back. He feels a little nervous on taking this on. _**"Don't be afraid, Ash. I am right here with you. You're not alone." **_

Ash smiled happily, knowing that Aqua was going to be right beside him. Knowing that she was with him in spirit, the young teen got into a battle stance. It was time to face his inner darkness.

**~ Boss Battle ~**

**Darkside **_(Ash's inner darkness) _

With no hesitation at all, the Aura Master charges in towards the dark behemoth. The massive Heartless let out a roar before throwing the first punch, which was easily avoid by Ash who sidestepped the attempt at the last second. With its blind spot wide open, Ash quickly moves in and unleashes a combo attack. Unfortunately, his attack did not do anything. The Heartless barely even flinched when it was nailed by his assault.

Discarding his lame effort like a mosquito bite, the massive beast backhanded Ash, which sends the poor trainer flying in pain. But somewhat the young swordsman was able to shake off the cobwebs as he quickly recovered before landing on his feet. This was not going to be easy that is for sure. This thing was a lot tougher than those small fries he fought earlier.

Soon the massive creature charges in towards its prey with its right fist up high. It was preparing to throw another punch. As it got closer, its right fist flew forward at Ash. The former prince quickly leaped into the air, avoiding the punch. And by using its own momentum against it, Ash used the beast's arm as a springboard to leap higher into air.

Once in the air, Ash channeled his aura within his left palm and before long, an aura sphere was formed. Soon Ash dive-bombed downward towards the Heartless with his aura sphere ready to be slammed against it. As the young teen was inching closer and closer, he quickly forced his left arm forward. Unfortunately, something unexpected happens.

As Ash was inching closer to it, the massive creature quickly thrust its right fist upward towards Ash's aura sphere. The two collided, which ended up in a death lock for a brief second before Ash's aura sphere died out. The Heartless was able to neutralize Ash's attack with ease. "Impossible!" Ash gasped in surprise.

But there was no time to look surprised. In one quick swoop, the Heartless used its other hand to snag the disbelieved prince in a tight hold. Ash gasped in pain as the hold around him was getting tighter and tighter. The beast was putting the squeeze on him. Ash needed to do something or else…his ribs were going to crack.

With no second to lose, Ash quickly threw his light blue katana at the Heartless's left eye. A sicken sound echoed the air when the katana pierced the beast's left eye. The Heartless roared in pain and before long, released its hold on Ash.

The Aura Master quickly landed on his feet before jumping back a few feet to separate himself from the agonizing beast. While the Heartless was busy roaring in pain and clutching its injured eye, Ash took this moment to come up with another plan. _'What can I do? My aura has not fully recover yet and plus, none of my attacks are working against it. What else can I do?' _

"_**Don't give up, Ash. There is a way. You just need to figure it out." **_Aqua's voice told him.

'_A way? What do you mean-…Hold on! That is it. That sword from before.' _Ash quickly remembers about the first event. 'But how can I-…'

"_**Let your heart lead it to you." **_

'_My…heart?' _It was not a simple answer. But it is worth a shot. Ash quickly shut his eyes and placed his right hand over his chest.

Soon the massive behemoth quickly stops crying as it turns its attention to Ash. The next thing we know it, the Heartless charges forward in anger. As it was inching closer to our young hero, its right fist was up into the air. And before long, the Heartless thrust its fist towards Ash. Unfortunately, its fist will not connect when something unexpected happens.

Quickly as it happens, the former trainer quickly opens his eyes and removes his right hand from his chest. In a flashing bright light, a sword-like Keyblade, possessing a curved, notched blade that bears a slight resemblance to the Soul Eater and the Way to Dawn with a noticeably sharp edge, appeared within his right hand. It was a black and white blade with a white star-shaped keychain attached to it. Its name was Two Become One.

As soon as his new weapon appeared, Ash quickly uses it to his advantage. The former trainer used to block the Heartless's fist, which completely stopped it in its track. A smirk appeared on Ash's face.

With one strong push from the new key bearer, the wounded Heartless stumbled backwards a few feet. And before long, everything went downhill for it.

Ash quickly charges in with speed. The Heartless tried to throw a punch at the young teen, but Ash quickly disappeared and reappeared behind it. Soon the new Keyblade wielder quickly delivers a slash at its back. The Heartless screamed in agony before turning around and tried to knock Ash away, but the young teen was able to jump backwards, avoiding the attack. And before long, Ash once again charges in and delivers swift combination attacks against the beast. The Heartless screamed in pain, each time a clean hit made contact.

Ash's assaults were getting on the creature's nerves. It was throwing punches wildly in frustration. And to everyone's surprise, a couple was able to send Ash flying back, but Ash was able to quickly recover. Soon a thought came to Ash. It was time to end this.

Suddenly, Ash's body lights up like a blue flaming candle as his aura was blazing around his body. Soon the former trainer placed his left hand out and soon he fired a powerful aura blast from his palm. The energy beam rocketed towards the beast and then…

**BOOM!**

The collision caused a big explosion. The Heartless roared in pain when the blast erupted against it. As the cloud of smoke subsided, we find the beast on one knee with its body still smoking from the explosion. Soon the wounded Heartless look forward and spotted no sign of Ash anywhere. Where did he go?

Suddenly, the Heartless sense a strong presence above it. The massive being quickly looks up, but it was too late. The moment it glances up, it was over. The new key bearer quickly slashed his Keyblade downward onto its body until it reaches to the floor. Once Ash delivers the final blow, the battle was over.

**~ Victory! ~**

The massive Heartless known as Darkside roared in agony. The wounded monster moved around wildly before it slowly falls onto its belly. Soon the newly key bearer watches closely as the defeated Heartless's body quickly vaporized into a shower of black particles.

Suddenly, something was pulling Ash. The young teen quickly glanced down to see the darkness beneath him was sucking him in. "NO!" He tried to move away, but it was useless. "AQUA!"

"_**Don't be afraid, Ash. You just passed the first trial. It's time for you to take the second and final part of your Awakening." **_Aqua's voice assured him. Ash hoped she was telling the truth. Soon, his newly weapon vanished from his grasp. _**"And congratulations on awakening your Keyblade. Now you hold the mightiest weapon of all."**_

"Key…blade…?" Ash said slowly as the darkness continues to consume his entire being.

"_**That's right. You're one step away in becoming a true Keyblade Master." **_Aqua's voice started to fade away. Ash was breathing heavily. The darkness was almost done consuming him. _**"And don't be afraid. You're not alone….Because I will be there with you….Ash….always…." **_

That was the last thing the young prince of Radiant Garden heard before everything around him….went black.

**A/N: Yup! You guess it! I brought in Ash's aura powers and abilities. I hope you guys like the Keyblade I pick for Ash. It fits perfectly for him, don't you think? Anyway, I know. There was not much Ash/Aqua moments in this chapter. But do not worry; there will be in the next one. Oh and before I finish things up here, I need to give you guys a heads up. Once Ash is done with his trials, he will not be traveling with Sora and Co. at the very start. Ash will be traveling alone for awhile. However, he will have two unexpected characters accompanying him later on. Don't worry, Sora and Co. will show up later on as well. Be patient. Until then. Ash will be traveling alone for a little bit, so he can get use to the other worlds. Aside from that, I hope you like this chapter! Please R & R! Thank you! Until next time! Peace out! ^_^**

**Johan07!**


	4. The Trial of Awakening: The Final Test!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ash Ketchum from Pokemon nor do I own characters from Square Enix, Disney, Biohazard, or any other company. _

_**Fandom: **__Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts_

_**Title**__: Where They Wait For Him! The Trial of Awakening: The Final Test!_

_**Character (s): **__Ash (18) and Aqua (16 - physical, 28 - reality)_

_**Genre (s): **__Fantasy/Supernatural_/_Drama/Hurt & Comfort/Slight Romance _

_**Rated: **__T_

_**Word Count: **4,616_

_**Pairing (s): **__Ash/Aqua, Ash/Cynthia, One-sided Ash/Harem, and One-sided Other Pairings_

_**Summary: **__Ash's world has fallen to the darkness due to the Heartless and now fate has taken him onto an adventure where he must save many worlds from the forces of evil. But at some point, fate will lead Ash to the one he first loved, Aqua. He will encounter new friends, new foes, and new worlds! Can Ash handle it? We will have to wait and see if he is capable of doing so!_

**Where They Wait For Him! The Trial of Awakening: The Final Test!**

_目覚めの試み：最終テスト！_

_Lying underneath a tall Oak tree on a grassy hill of their little town were Ash and his former rival, Gary. The two youngsters were spending a day together. What better way to do so by relaxing underneath their favorite tree. Lying side to side with their arms behind their heads, the two childhood friends were staring up high at the clear blue sky. It was pretty much a normal and peaceful day like any ordinal day. Nowadays, except for battle challenges, there was nothing much else to do in Pallet Town. What a boring life. But who is complaining? Not Ash, that is for sure. He actually enjoys this day since it was one of those time in months where he actually takes a break from everything, including his duties as Pokemon Champion and leader of the Master's Stadium. Today was one of those days. _

_As the young teens continued to rest underneath the cooling shade and look up at the peaceful sky, one certain thought came to Gary. "Hey, Ashy-boy?"_

"_Hmm?" _

"_How long have you been dating Cynthia?" _

"_I don't know…maybe like…um…four?…or maybe five months, perhaps? Why?" Ash told his former rival in an uncertain tone. _

"_No reason." Gary shrugged his shoulders, without looking at his childhood rival. Clearly, Ash can tell that his childhood rival was lying to him. "I was just bit curious on when you two will get serious, that's all."_

"_What?" Confused, Ash slowly shifted his head, so he can stare at his spiky-haired companion. "What do you mean by when will Cynthia and I get serious? Serious about what?" _

_Upon hearing this, the Pokemon Researcher-in-training could not help, but rolled his eyes at the seemingly dense Pokemon Champion. After all these years, Gary could not believe Ash was still dense and clueless as ever about relationships. When will he learn? Probably never, I guess. _

"_Jeez, Ashy-boy, I thought you would have figured it out by now, but I guess I was wrong. You're still as dumb and clueless as ever I see." _

"_HEY!" Ash frowned at his former rival's remarks with a cute pout. "What's that supposed to mean, Gary?"_

_Once again, the spiky-haired researcher had the urge to roll his eyes at his former rival. But Gary decided to give his clueless friend the solid answer he has been asking for. "Well, Ash…since you asked nicely…" A hint of sarcasm filled within his tone. "I'm just a little disappointed that you haven't proposed to Cynthia yet. You know…asked her to marry you and all." _

"_W-W-W-WHAT?" On cue, Ash started to blush madly when he heard this, coming from his former rival. "W-Why did you wanted to know that?" Gary shrugged. _

"_Just in case when the time comes. You know when you decided to get serious and all. Oh! And you better pick me as your best man in your wedding, Ashy-boy." A grin spread across the young researcher's face. _

"_S-Stop it, Gary. That won't happen for a long time." Ash told his spiky-haired friend before he gets too far ahead of himself. By now, Gary gave his former rival a funny look. "I mean…Cynthia and I…it's just too soon for that right now. And besides, I'm still young…"_

"_And don't forget stupid, Ashy-boy." Gary interrupted Ash with a teasing smirk on his face. _

"_GARY!"_

"_Just kidding, Ashy-boy, Go on." The teasing researcher ushered Ash to continue with a chuckle. The young champion rolled his eyes. Nonetheless, Ash continued with his explanation. _

"_As I was saying…Cynthia and I aren't ready for a marriage yet." Somewhat, Gary nodded in understanding. If his friend was not ready for a full commitment just yet, then there is no need to rush him into one at this point. He still has time to make his decision when the time comes. Therefore, Gary should just leave it as that. _

"_All right, man, but if you need any advice once so ever, you know where to find me."_

"_Thanks, Gary. I'll keep that thought in mind." The young champion assured his annoying friend. _

"_You better." Gary laughed. "And better not turn to Brock. You know how he is when it comes to relationships. He might ruin yours if you ask him for any advice."_

"_Maybe." Both teens laughed. _

_As soon as their laughter dies out, the two teens resumed back to their relaxation. While they continued to lay there and relax a bit, a nagging topic came to Gary's mind. He wonders if he should share this nagging topic with Ash. What will be Ash's expression if he brought up a certain topic, involving a certain blue-haired girl? There is only one way to find out and that was to bring it up. Let's hope Ash will forgive Gary for bringing up a painful memory. _

"_Hey, Ash?" Slowly, the young researcher reached out his childhood friend by calling on his name. _

_Slowly, the former prince turns his head to Gary. "Yeah, Gary?" What was on his former rival's mind this time? Gary bites down on his lower lip. He was going to regret this. It is now or never._

"_Do you still remember about that weird girl who came by here that one time when we were six? You know that girl by the name…"_

"_**Ash…" **_

"_What? Uh…can you repeat that again, Gary? I couldn't hear you." _

"_Huh?" Gary blinked confusedly. "Oh, uh…sure…" The young researcher did not understand why Ash wanted him to repeat his question again. He did believe he was made himself clear the first time, but it seems Ash didn't quite catch his full question because a ghostly voice, only Ash can hear, blocked the last part. Gary decided to fulfill his former rival's request. "As I said a second ago, do you still remember that girl, Aq…"_

"_**Ash…" **_

"_What?"_

"_Are you deaf?" Gary asked with a frown. "I said do you still…"_

"_**Ash! Ash! ASH! It's time to wake up!" **_

"_W-What?" _

_Suddenly, a bright light blinded Ash. It seems reality was calling for him. Soon everything became a blur and before long, his dream ended. _

_**(~ Scene change: Back into reality…well…sort of… ~)**_

Grunting softly, Ash started to regain consciousness. Slowly, the former prince of Radiant Garden opens his eyes. Once he was up, he slowly picked himself up. Before he could move into a sitting position, Ash quickly took notice that he was on a new stained-glass pillar, but this time, its artwork was in a form of a young woman with waist-length, blonde hair. She was in a black overcoat. Wait! Long blonde hair? Black overcoat? There's no mistaken of it. Ash quickly knew who this woman was. It was…It was…

"C-C-Cynthia…" The new Keyblader-in-training whispered. This was no big surprise. Of course, Cynthia was part of his heart. Along with his family and friends, she too was very important to him. There is no question about it.

"Finally, you're up, you lazy bum." Ash was completely startled when he suddenly heard Aqua's voice. "You are pretty lucky that you did. I was about to walk over and hit you over your head with my Keyblaade." The air was echoed by her teasing giggle. Yup! It was definitely Aqua, all right.

As soon as the former prince heard his first love's sweet voice, Ash quickly shot up into a standing position. And before long, happy tears were starting to form within his golden-brownish eyes.

From a few yards, stood a young woman with short, blue hair. Her blue eyes were just as beautiful as ever. The same goes with her lovely cleavage. Aqua was still wearing the same attire from before. Ash might not admit this out loud, but Aqua definitely looks hot and sexy in it. Before any strange thoughts came to him, Ash quickly refocused his attention right back onto Aqua.

It was strange. Even though this was not actually Aqua in her _real_ physical form, it was really weird to see her exactly the same. She has not age a year bit. What was her secret? The Fountain of Youth? Ash will never know. However, that was not important right now. He can figure it out some other time. Right now, he be should cherishing this little moment with any chance he has left before his final trial kicks in.

Time stood still for a brief moment. Ash and Aqua locked eyes with each other. It was really nice for them to see each other again. It was a lovely reunion. "Ak…wa…I mean….Aqua!" Ash quickly corrected before blushing like a steaming hot tomato. Aqua giggled at his silliness.

"Same old Ash. Silly as ever, I see." The young beauty teased, causing the former prince to blush even further in embarrassment. "Even so, it's really nice seeing you again, Ash. I really miss you." Aqua gives her soon-to-be successor a warm smile with affection.

"You have no idea how much I miss you, Aqua." Ash told his first love. The fallen Keyblade Master giggled.

"Boy, you must have been really lonely without me, huh?" Aqua teased the former prince with a giggle. Ash's face skyrocketed to a scarlet color.

"Uh…well…um…" Ash stuttered nervously. "…I wasn't…that….um…lonely without you…." Aqua did not buy that for one second. She can tell by the expression on his face that he was definitely lying. What a bad liar. Unfortunately, this was not the time to poke fun at her cute successor. This was the time to get down to some serious business. Teasing can wait for another time.

"Ash…"

Quickly, the former prince ended his little stuttering. Once he did, he slowly turns his attention to the blue-haired woman who was staring at him in a serious manner. "A-Aqua?"

"Don't Aqua me, Ash." The fallen Master of the Keyblade said to her favorite boy in a cold tone. "This isn't the time to act like a lost little puppy. I know it's great seeing each other and all, but this isn't the time for sappy reunions." Aqua continues to act coldly towards her successor.

"Aqua…" Ash looks so confused. And at the same time, looks slightly hurt by her sudden change of tone. Why was she acting this way? It did not make any sense at all. "What's wrong?"

Completely ignoring his question, the blue-haired key bearer quickly placed her right hand straightforward. As soon as she did, a dark grayish-looking Keyblade with an "E"-shaped tip suddenly appeared within her grasp. With her former master's weapon within her grasp, Aqua quickly takes this opportunity to launch out her first surprising attack. _**"FIRE!"**_

As quickly as it happens, the tip of her Keyblade suddenly shoots out a homing ball of fire. Ash's eyes widen in shock as the blazing ball inferno rocketed towards his direction.

At that last second, the former prince quickly sidestepped the flaming attack as it quickly flew right pass him. As soon as he was able to dodge Aqua's first attempt, the young teen quickly turns his attention right back to the glaring woman. "What are you doing, AQUA?" He shouted angrily at her.

"The time for talk is over, Ash." Aqua simply puts it before charging in.

Quickly, Aqua moves in dishes out a barrage of strikes. However, Ash was able to use his past training skills to dodge most of her strikes, except for a couple. One of the strikes left him with a nasty cut on his right cheek.

In order to put a good distance between them, Ash quickly jumps backwards after avoiding another strike from Aqua. Once he was at a safe distance, Ash once again returns his gaze right back onto his first love. "Why are you attacking me?"

"I told you before, Ash. The time for talk is over. Fight me." Aqua ordered. "Show me what you got. And don't hold back either."

"I have no reason to fight you, Aqua." Ash argued with a hurt expression on his face.

"Oh, yes, you do, Ash." The fallen Master of the Keyblade said to him. Ash gave her a look. What did she mean by that? "To make things simply, this is your final test."

"M-My final test?" Aqua nodded. That put a good relief on Ash's shoulders. So, that is why she was attacking him for no apparent reason. Aqua was his final obstacle in his Trial of Awakening. It finally makes sense now. So, in order for him to pass his final trial, he needed to fight Aqua. It was simply enough. "Oh…I see now."

"Good. Now that you finally understand that I am your final opponent. Show me your strength." Aqua instructed before moving into a stance.

"Fine! I will!" Ash told her. Finally, he was in the mood to be serious for once.

As quickly as it happens, Ash's eyes suddenly changed into a pair of light blue eyes. His Aura Scar reappeared on his face. And before long, his newly key-looking weapon, Two Become One, appeared with his grasp. "I'm ready whenever you are, Aqua." A small smile appeared on the young woman's face.

The final test was now on its way.

**~ Boss Battle ~**

**Aqua**

With no time to waste, Ash quickly moves in as he charges forward at Aqua. The fallen Keyblade Master quickly shoots out several Blizzard spells at her charging foe. Lucky enough, Ash was able to dodge each of her ice attacks before vanishing and reappearing right behind her. The young key bearer was about to strike. But thanks to her fast reaction, Aqua was able to twirl around quick enough to block her apprentice's attack. The two warriors locked in a deadlock before leaning in to see who would overpower who. To Ash's misfortune, Aqua was able to overpower him.

The female key bearer quickly shoves the former prince back with force, causing Ash to fly backwards a few good yards. However, the new key bearer was able to recover before landing on his feet. Not wanting to give her apprentice any time to catch a breath, Aqua quickly charges in. She was preparing to strike Ash down with her blade.

***CLANG***

Unfortunately, for her, Ash was able to intercept her blow. Like before, the two warriors clashed into another deadlock. However, it did not last for too long.

Quickly, Aqua pushed herself back a few feet before charging in once again. The young woman begins dishing out rapid strikes towards her opponent.

Surprisingly, the former prince of Radiant Garden was able to match her from blow to blow. Striking or defending, it did not matter. Ash was able to keep up with Aqua. This development lasted for a few moments before exhaustion took hold.

***CLANG***

Once again, Ash and Aqua clashed into another deadlock. Light blue eyes met deep blue eyes. Both warriors were completely exhausted. Small trails of sweat dripped down their faces. Surely enough, both of them were completely tired. They needed to end this battle as soon as possible. Ash's Aura Scar was starting to act up.

Quickly, Ash pushed Aqua back, causing her to stumble backwards. As soon as he had enough room, the former prince quickly launched an aura sphere straight towards at Aqua.

As soon as the aura sphere was heading her way, Aqua quickly pointed her Keyblade and cast a fire spell at it. _**"FIRE!"**_

The homing ball of inferno quickly blasted from the blade's tip and quickly rocketed towards the incoming aura sphere.

**BOOM!**

The two spheres collided, causing a big explosion. A thick cloud of smoke covered the area. Aqua could not see Ash. The smoke was too thick to see through it. Who can?

Just then, Ash burst out from the thick smoke, which of course, startled Aqua. Soon the young key bearer charges forward at her with incredible speed. Before Aqua could do anything about this, her apprentice quickly knocked her Keyblade out of her hand with his Keyblade. And before long, the female Keyblade Master was staring down at Ash's Aura blade, which was a few inches from her throat. Ash must have summoned it with his other hand. However, that was not important right now.

Aqua could not believe it. She lost. But she did not let her defeat drag her down completely. To everyone's surprise, she actually looks happy that Ash defeated her. That means Ash has far more potential than she realizes. It was a nice feeling.

Slowly, Aqua relaxed before admitting her lost with a warm smile. "I give up. You win, Ash."

**~ Victory! ~**

Once Aqua admitted her defeat, Ash sighed softly before lowering his Aura blade down from her throat. And before long, both of his weapons suddenly vanished. The same goes with Aqua's Keyblade. Soon afterwards, the exhausted teen quickly dropped to the ground on his bottom. "That's good."

Aqua giggled before joining him. She quickly sits down right in front of him. "Well, Ash, you finally passed your final test. Congratulation! You are now a full-fledged Keyblade Master."

"Thanks, but I think I just got lucky at the end, Aqua." The former prince was being modest and truthful. "Clearly, you could have blocked my attack I didn't t-…"

"Either way, it didn't matter. You still beat me, Ash." Aqua cut him off. "So congratulation." The young woman said to him with a smile.

"Thanks, Aqua." Ash smiles warmly at his first love. But soon, realization came to him. Now that he is a Keyblade Master, what does he have to do next? "Oh…uh…Aqua!"

"Yes, Ash?" The blue-haired woman gives her full attention to her apprentice.

"Now that I'm a Keyblade Master and an Aura Master, what happens now?"

"Now…you get answers. After all, I did promise to you, didn't I?" Ash nodded. "Well, you better sit back and relax. It's going to be a _long_ story."

Indeed, it was. Aqua spent every ounce of time explaining everything to Ash. At first, it was very, VERY difficult for Ash to understand. But after a long, long explanation about the Heartless, his journey, his missions, and of course behind everything else that is connected to all of this, Ash finally understand what he must do. In order to save his world and of course everything else, like restoring the universal balance, helping his fellow key bearers, meeting his lost sister, and lastly saving his first love and her friends, Ash has no choice, but to accept this mission.

After thinking about this long and hard, Ash finally came to a decision. "Aqua…" His mentor quickly turns her head to him when he called her name. "After everything you have told me, I have finally made a decision….I'll do it."

"Are you sure about this, Ash?" Aqua questioned. Ash nodded.

"I'm sure." The former prince assured her with a smile. "After all, it's the right thing to do. Plus, I want to meet my sister. She does deserve to know that I'm her brother. And also…" Ash quickly locked eyes with Aqua. "I want to save you and your friends, but most importantly…you….Aqua because I-I…um…you're important to me."

"Ash…" Wet tears started to form with Aqua's blue eyes. "Oh, Ash!" Suddenly, the young woman quickly embraced Ash. The former prince quickly blushed. "I'm so glad to hear that. Thank you so much, Ash."

"I-It's n-no problem at all, Aqua." Ash said to her in a shy tone. "It's the least I could do for you."

Quickly, the blue-haired woman pulled away from her apprentice before punching him playfully on his right arm. "You're just saying that because you're happy that I didn't forget about you all these years." She teased.

"WHAT?"

"Just kidding." Aqua giggled. Ash frowned.

"You're mean."

"So." The young woman poked her tongue playfully at her apprentice who rolled his eyes at her. But soon, the two key bearers broke out into a fit of laughter. And once their laughter died out, Aqua decided to tell Ash one more thing. "OH!" Suddenly, Ash's eyes were on her. "Before I forget, you probably want to look at yourself." She told her apprentice with a giggle. Ash blinked.

"Huh?" Aqua quickly instructed the young teen to look down, which he did.

The young apprentice was now in a set of new clothes. He was wearing a sleeveless, white hoodie with a giant white cross logo on the front. His sweat pants were the same color as his hoodie with black lines on each side. His sneakers were white and black with a small, white star on the right one while there was a black one on the left. Ash was also wearing a pair of black gloves with white star logos on them. Around his waist was a long, black belt with two rows of silver studs lining its sides. Attached to his belt was the familiar star-shaped charm that Aqua made for him. Around his neck was the familiar necklace. Pierced on his right ear was the familiar earring. On his right shoulder was a white and black piece of armor, similar to the ones Aqua and the others wear. Apart from his clothes, none of his features changed, which was good.

"What the?" Aqua giggled at Ash's expression.

"Relax. There's nothing to worry about." She assured her panicking apprentice. "I just wanted to give you a new outfit before your journey begins."

"Oh…" Ash started to calm down.

"Yeah and see that…" The blue-haired woman pointed her finger at his armor plate on his right shoulder. Ash looks at it and slowly nodded.

Aqua took this moment to explain to her apprentice about his armor. She tells him whenever he touches his shoulder plate, he will get a cool-looking body suit, which will protect him from the darkness as he travels between the worlds. It also allows him to breathe into space as well. Not only that, the battle armor also comes with other nifty things, which he will have to figure out on his own. Once the explanation was over, Ash couldn't wait to start his new journey.

"Now I am more ready than ever!" Ash chirped with enthusiasm. Aqua giggled.

"That's the spirit, Ash. Well, good luck and don't worry, you're not going to be alone on this journey, Ash." Ash nodded.

"I know and thanks for everything, Aqua." The former prince smiles at his first love.

"No problem." Aqua smiles back. And before long, the blue-haired key bearer gave her apprentice a quick kiss to his soft lips before pulling away. Ash quickly blushed.

Before either of them can say anything about the sudden kiss, everything around them suddenly flashed in a bright light. And before long, Ash was brought back into reality and soon his journey will begin.

After all, _they_ are waiting for him.

**A/N: So sorry for the long delay, I could not stay focus on this chapter when I was typing it. It was somewhat hard to come up with good ideas for it. Other than that, I am glad it is done and ready for you to comment on it. If you have not notice yet, I did added a small flashback about Ash's pass incident. There will be more of those in later chapters. For now, let's worry about Ash and his upcoming journey. I hope you guys like the small moment between Ash and Aqua, especially the small kiss they had. There will be more. Just be patient, okay? For now, I hope you like this chapter. Please R & R! Thank you! Until next time! Peace out! ^_^**

**P.S. - Thank you for all who supported me. I really appreciate it. You guys are the best when I was being criticized about my grammar and ideas. Most of you backed me up while a couple were against me, which I will not name. But other than that, I am happy that most of you guys have my back. Once again, I really appreciate it! ^_^**

**Johan07! **


	5. The New Journey Begins: Radiant Garden!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ash Ketchum from Pokemon nor do I own characters from Square Enix, Disney, Biohazard, or any other company. _

_**Fandom: **__Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts_

_**Title**__: Where They Wait For Him! The New Journey Begins: Radiant Garden!_

_**Character (s): **__Ash (18), Snow (21), Hope (14), Merlin (Unknown), Cid (44), Leon (27), Aerith (22-24), Yuffie (18), Tifa (22-24), and Cloud (24)_

_**Genre (s): **__Adventure/Friendship/Slight Romance/Slight Humor_

_**Rated: **__T_

_**Word Count: **4,485_

_**Pairing (s): **__Ash/Aqua, Ash/Cynthia, One-sided Ash/Harem, and One-sided Other Pairings_

_**Summary: **__Ash's world has fallen to the darkness due to the Heartless and now fate has taken him onto an adventure where he must save many worlds from the forces of evil. But at some point, fate will lead Ash to the one he first loved, Aqua. He will encounter new friends, new foes, and new worlds! Can Ash handle it? We will have to wait and see if he is capable of doing so!_

**Where They Wait For Him! The New Journey Begins: Radiant Garden!**

_新しい旅の始まり：輝ける庭を！_

**Radiant Garden**

**1st**** Visit **_(Part I-II)_

"Hey, Hope! Do you think he's the _one_ the others told us about?"

"Jeez, I don't know, Snow. Who else have we seen with messy black hair with little Z's and a large Inverted Eastern Cross-like scar on their faces?"

"Hmm…I guess nobody until now, I suppose."

"Sometimes I wonder why Ser-…oh, hey, look! He's starting to wake up."

A soft groan escaped from Ash's lips. Slowly, Ash opens his eyes. Once he did, all his senses were slowly coming back to him. And eventually, he will get a surprise of his life when a pair of faces popped up into his view. The suddenly appearances of two unknown strangers completely scare the crap out of Ash.

"Whoa! Take it easy there. We didn't mean to startle you like that." The one known as Snow said with his trademark grin. "So relax."

"Yeah. What _this _hero just said." The one known as Hope replied with a chuckle. "You don't need to worry. We are your friends here. So please relax." Hope reassured Ash with a friendly smile.

Now knowing that these newcomers were not his enemies and the fact that they can be trusted by the looks on their faces, Ash quickly accepts their kind words and relax. "Okay…" The young teen mumbled tiredly, which made Hope and Snow smiled to know that Ash trusts them.

While Ash and his newfound allies were on the same page for the moment, Ash took this time to take a close look at his two new friends.

Apparently, the one who goes by the name, Snow Villiers, appears to be a tall, a really tall person with an average built body. He has light blond hair, blue eyes, and a stubble beard. He wears a black bandanna, a pair of black gloves, a pair of large gray boots, a light blue vest, and a striped blue scarf hanging from a belt under a long beige trench coat. To Ash's eyes, Snow seems like a nice person, especially when he is giving him a goofy grin and a…wink. Okay….moving on to the next one.

If Ash remembers correctly, the young boy with the feminine face goes by the name, Hope Estheim. Apparently, the one known as Hope appears to be a little younger than Ash, maybe like four years or so, with layered silver hair and blue-green eyes. Hope's outfit consists of a short-sleeved orange and yellow jacket, a green scarf over a black shirt, and a pair of black gloves with white palms. He also wears deep green pants, a black storage pack hanging from a black belt over his left leg, and light green shoes. To Ash's eyes, Hope seems like a nice kid. If Ash was not mistaken, Hope could easily disguise himself as a girl if he wanted to. But the young key bearer decided not to bring that up because he has a strong feeling that it will upset Hope if he did, so he decided to move on to a different topic, like where was he?

Before Ash could get a chance asking his newfound friends about current location, a familiar, awful pain came back to him. "Aaargh…" The young teen let out a weak cry when he started to feel his Aura Scar bleeding on his face. His soft cry did not go unnoticed. Hope and Snow were shell shocked to see their new friend in pain. They can tell by his expression and by how his weird-looking scar was glowing in a reddish color, as if it was bleeding or something.

"Hey, uh….uh-…"

"Ash, what's wrong?" Hope asked, looking really concerned for his new friend.

Ash did not have time to question Hope. The excruciating pain from his Aura Scar was too unbearable to withstand. _'Damn….I guess those dreams battles were real after all if my Aura Scar is….acting up….I guess…my…aura…is completely…low…I-I…don't know…h-how…long I-I…can….' _

The young key bearer could not finish his thoughts. The pain was too much for him to bear and before long, Ash quickly passed out while his bleeding scar was still going.

"Oh, shit! We need to do something, Hope." Snow said to his little buddy in an alert tone, lifting Ash's head off the ground.

"Like what?…Oh, wait!" Quickly, Hope realized something, which made Snow turn to him. "What if I can cast a healing spell on him? If it does not work, then we will just have to take him back to Leon and the others. I am sure they can do something about Ash. After all, they do know him a lot better than us." Snow nodded.

"Hmm…Sounds like a good plan to me, Hope. Go for it." The giant man said to the young medic with trademark smile. "It's a worth a shot." Hope nodded.

"All right."

Quickly, the young medic moves in closer to Ash and cast a healing spell on him. _**"CURE!"**_

Suddenly, Ash's body was enveloped in a greenish glow, but soon the spell worn off and nothing happened. "Try it again, Hope." Snow ordered.

"Okay." Hope nodded. _**"CURE!"**_

The young boy cast his spell again and still nothing happened. It seems Ash's aura was behind this. It was protecting its host from foreign spells and other foreign invaders from entering his body. This was a no go for Hope. "It's no good, Snow. My spells aren't working on Ash."

"All right then. Let's head back to Merlin's place." The young medic nodded.

"Okay."

Quickly, the gentle giant gently scooped the unconscious Aura/Keyblade Master up, bridal-style, before he and his little friend headed off to the old wizard's home. Let's hope someone from Merlin's can help our favorite hero out.

_**(~ Scene change: Merlin's house, the guest room ~)**_

Inside one of the guest rooms, we find our young hero resting on a soft, comfortable bed. However, his little nap would soon be disturbed by a familiar voice.

"_**Ash, get up. This isn't the time for you to be sleeping, you sleepyhead." **_

Quickly, Ash shot his eyes wide open before shooting straight up from his bed. Clearly, he didn't expected to have Aqua's voice wake him up from his little nap, like always. More or less, he did not expected to keep hearing her voice within his mind until now. But hey, who is complaining? Certainly, Ash was not.

Once the young teen was wide-awake, he quickly took notice that he was inside a guest room. The room was pretty nice and roomy. At the far left corner of the room, there was a bookshelf. Near the right side of the room door was a small study desk. On the opposite side of the bookcase, there was a room closet. Apart from everything, this room seems somewhat average, but still comfortable.

Suddenly, the former prince of Radiant Garden quickly took notice that he was no longer groaning in pain. Quickly, Ash touched the left side of his face and noticed that he could not feel his scar. It seems his Aura Scar was gone for the time being, which made Ash sighed in relief. _'Good. I'm guessing my aura is slowly re-…'_

"Finally, you're up!" The former trainer/champion quickly jumped in surprise when he suddenly heard a cheerful female voice right beside him.

Slowly, Ash cocked his head to the left and before long, made eye contact with a young girl who was sitting on a chair right next to the bed, smiling at him. "You had _us _worried there for a second, Ash." The mysterious girl said, finishing her sentence.

In confusion, Ash blinked dumbly at the smiling girl. The young key bearer did not have a single clue on who was this person. Better yet, how in the world did she know his name? And more importantly, what did she meant by _us_? Clearly, the former trainer/champion was so confused. He did not have a clue what was going on here.

However, strangely as it seems, Ash had an odd feeling he has seen her before, as if a fade memory came back to him the moment he laid his eyes on her. Her cute face along with her short, black hair and violet eyes seems really, really familiar to him. Apart from her features, Ash could not help, but stare at her strange outfit. What was she? A ninja? She must be one since her outfit relates to one. Her outfit consists of an unzipped, dark grey combat vest with a black strap dangling from the right pocket overtop a navy blue tank top with white floral designs. She wears a white wristband on her right wrist and a grey, fingerless glove on her left arm. Her shorts are slightly darker and have another black strap dangling from the left side. She also wears black, knee-high socks with white stripes at the top underneath dark tan boots that are slightly shorter than her socks. Around her head is a black headband with white lining.

Strangely enough, the more he looked at her, the more things did not seem like a coincidence. Now he knows he has seen this ninja girl before. However, before the young key bearer could come up with the answer, he suddenly noticed that the black-haired ninja was starting to feel very uncomfortable from his nonstop staring.

"I-Is there something on my face, Ash?" The familiar ninja asked uncomfortably, slightly blushing.

"Oh, uh…sorry…." Ash chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "It's just that you look kind of familiar to me…Have we met before?"

"Well, of course we met before, Ashy. It's not everyday you come across the "Great Ninja Yuffie" in these parts." The female ninja told him with a grin.

Suddenly, something clicked in Ash's mind. The way the ninja girl said that to him brought back a past memory.

_So you are a ninja?_

_That is right. "Great Ninja Yuffie" at your service!_

_Awesome! Nice to meet you! My name is Ash!_

"I can't believe it…" Ash muttered in realization. "Yuffie? Is that really you?" The young key bearer asked while eying the full-grown ninja who he met back then when he was seven.

"Well, duh, Ash. Who else were you expecting, mister?" Yuffie questioned, causing the young teen to blush embarrassedly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that in any way." The ninja princess could not help, but rolled her eyes. However, Yuffie decided to give Ash a break this one time and decided to move up to a different subject.

"Any who…" The ninja girl quickly gained Ash's attention. "It's been ages since _we_ last saw you."

"We?" Ash looks baffled.

"Oh, right!" Yuffie suddenly realized something. "I should tell Squall and the others that you are awake now. Wait here."

Before Ash could say another word, the ninja girl quickly hopped off from her seat and ran over to the door. The young key bearer could not help, but giggled at the ninja's enthusiasm. She has not changed one bit. But soon, something came to Ash's attention. He suddenly noticed that he was in the same clothes from his dreams. So that means his dream battles and his encounter with Aqua were real after all.

However, before the young key bearer could ponder over on anything else, Yuffie's loud shout would soon interrupt his thoughts. "SQUALL, EVERYONE! COME QUICK! ASH IS FINALLY UP!"

Jeez! For a young woman like her, she sure does have a loud voice. _'Man, Yuffie is louder than Misty…' _Ash mentally joked before snapping out of his thoughts when he suddenly loud voices and footsteps inching closer to the room.

"Damn it, Yuffie. Do you have to be so damn loud?" Coming into view was a grumpy and pissed off man with short blond hair. He was in his early forties. He was in a white T-shirt with two buttons descending from the neck. His baggy pants are blue and have a very wide, orange waistband with thin, vertical stripes on it. His ants are worn rather high with the waistband coming up to just under his ribcage. He also wears grey socks and black shoes. Apart his clothes, he wears a pair of goggles and necklace with a rectangular charm. This guy was seriously in a grumpy mood.

"Oh, shut up, you old fart."

"What was that, you little brat?"

"Please, you two, stop fighting."

"Tell that to "Miss Little Princess Ninja" over here!"

"You're asking for a butt whipping, Cid!" Yuffie growled at the blond-haired man.

"Hey, hey, hey, you two. Take it easy."

"Yuffie? Taking it easy? That will be the day."

"What was that supposed to mean, Tifa?" Yuffie demanded.

"Just be quiet, Yuffie. You're starting to get on my nerves like always."

"Hey, it's not fault I'm open-minded, unlike you, Squall."

"It's Leon."

"Whatever….Squall!"

"Yuffie, you're just asking for it."

"Come on, guys. This isn't the time for-…Oh, hey, Ash!"

On cue, all eyes quickly fell on the dumbfounded teen who was giving the group a disbelief look. In all of his life, Ash has never once come across a dysfunctional group of friends until now. _'And here I thought Misty and I were dysfunctional, but clearly they take the cake now that I see it…'_

Once the young key bearer said that mentally to himself, he quickly snapped out of his thoughts before turning to the group's direction. "Um…hey, guys…" He said awkwardly.

"Well, well, well. It seems you're finally up and as good as new, I see." Snow said gently to his new founded friend. "That's good. You had us worried there for a second."

"Yeah." Hope agreed with the gentle giant as the pair walked over to Ash's side.

"Uh…thanks…um…"

"Oh, right. I forgot. We have not introduced ourselves to you yet. Silly us. But do not worry, Your Highness. We will now." Ash's eyes widen when he heard Snow called him, "His Highness". What was that all about? Clearly, the blond-haired man did not take notice of Ash's expression. "Well, my name is Snow and there here…" Snow motioned his thumb to his little friend's direction. "…is Hope. If you do not remember correctly, we were the ones who brought here, so you can rest up."

"Oh, I see…thanks, Snow, Hope. I really appreciate it." Ash said, giving the two a warm smile. Snow grinned while Hope smiled at Ash.

"No problem."

"Anytime, man." Ash nodded to them before turning back to the others.

Strangely, as it sounds, Ash suddenly had another strange feeling that the rest of the group looks so very familiar to him. It was like his past memories about them suddenly came back to him the moment his eyes fell on them. Past images of him and the others were all floating within his mind all at once. The former prince quickly clutched his head when all of these past memories were all starting to give him a headache. This completely alerted the group.

"Ash, are you okay?" Slowly, Ash turned his attention to the young woman with long, brown hair that is styled in three separate braids. The moment he laid his eyes on her, her name suddenly popped into his mind.

"I-I'm okay, Aerith. Just…a little headache, that's all." Ash reassured with a smile while still clutching his head. The group, except for Hope and Snow, was taken back by this.

"Wait a minute. Did you just remember Aerith's name, Ash?" Yuffie asked.

"I think so…Yuffie…"

Slowly, and one by one, the young prince of Radiant Garden started to remember every single soul from his childhood. Once Ash regained all of his past memories about his friends, Leon was the first one to break the silence. "How are feeling now, Ash?"

Removing his hand from his head, the young key bearer finally turned his attention to the gun blade wielder. "I'm fine now, Sq-…"

"It's Leon now, Ash." Ash did not know why his friend changed his name, but Ash respected his space. The young teen nodded in understanding.

"Right, Leon. Thanks for asking for my well-being. I'm fine now." Leon slowly let out a small smile to the young prince.

"That's good."

"But isn't it kind of weird that his little Highness over there suddenly remembered everyone?" Cid asked no one in particular while gnawing on his toothpick.

"Does it really matter?" Snow questioned. "Shouldn't it be a good thing that he did?"

"It doesn't really matter to me." Tifa shrugged her shoulders while she was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. "As long as he remembers, it's good enough for all of us, right?" The group nodded in agreement.

"It sure is. It's nice seeing you again, Ash." Aerith said to Ash with a warm smile. "And my, you sure have grown into a young man over the years." The young woman added as she stared at the young teen's features.

"Maybe it runs in the family." Yuffie teased, causing Ash to blush.

"Come on, Yuffie. Leave the poor guy alone. Can't you see you're embarrassing him?" It was pretty rare to see Tifa defending someone else, other than Cloud.

"Oh, come on, Tifa. Even you have to admit that Ash is cute-looking, right?" The ninja princess asked.

Sighing, the tough female quickly glanced over to Ash's direction for a brief second. Once their eyes locked, the tough woman quickly looks away, hiding her faint blush. Tifa did not say anything, which made Yuffie smirked in triumph. Even Tifa thinks Ash is cute. This of course made Snow grinned at Ash. "Well, well, well. It looks like we have ourselves a little Prince Charming here." He joked, causing the blush on Ash's face to deepen even further.

In order to keep everyone in topic, Leon decided to step in. "Guys, aren't we forgetting something here?" The group gave him a questionable look. What was he talking about? "Shouldn't we stay focus here and give Ash here some answers? After all, I have a strong feeling he wants some answers from us on why he is doing here in the first place?"

"Boy, Squall. It's so like you to be a party-pooper and ruin everyone else's fun."

"It's Leon." The gun blade wielder corrected before rolling his eyes. "And besides, this is more important than that, so save it for some other time, Yuffie."

"I must agree with Mr. Leon here." The silver-haired boy said, agreeing with Leon.

"That makes three of us, kid." A new voice spoke up.

Quickly, all heads shot straight towards the room door to see a young man with blond, spiky hair in black leaning against a wall near the doorway with his eyes shut and his arms crossed.

"Cloud, when did you arrive?" Tifa asked her longtime friend and crush.

The silent swordsman did not respond to that question nor did he budge from his composure. After a little awhile, Cloud would slowly open his blue eyes before turning his attention to Ash. "It seems you're doing well, kid. It's nice to see you again." Cloud said in a blank tone. Ash slowly nodded.

"Uh…yeah…same here, Cloud…" The blond-haired swordsman nodded in acknowledgment before returning to his composure.

Once the small talk was over, Ash gave the group his dying, full attention. "Um…can anyone tell me where I'm at right now?"

Leon sighed deeply. This was going to be difficult to explain. Once Leon gathered up his thoughts, he quickly gave the young teen his full attention. "Where to begin?" He mumbled. Ash waited patiently. "This might be a little hard for you to accept this, Ash, but it has to be said. Right now…you are in Radiant Garden, the place where you were born and the place where you met all of us, Ash."

"In other words, kid. You are home. Welcome back to home world, Your Highness." Cid said to the awestruck teen while gnawing toothpick.

"W-What?" Ash could not believe what he just heard. He was home? Back home to the world where was born, where he was abandoned, and where he met all of them? This was so unreal. "H-How? And how do you guys know that I was a prince?"

To Ash's understanding, the only people who knows about him being a former prince to his former world were him, his family, Cynthia, his friends, and most likely, his real family. So how in the world did Leon and others know about this?

Before Leon or anyone else could give Ash a straight-on answer about all of this, a certain wizard made an unexpected visit. "Maybe I can answer that, my dear lad." A new voice said, out of nowhere.

***POOF***

Suddenly, a cloud of smoke appeared, out of nowhere. Soon an elderly-looking man with a walrus mustache and a long, floor-length white beard appeared. He was dressed in a sky blue cloak that stops just above his ankles and has large, hanging sleeves. On top of his head was a tall, floppy, blue conical hat. The wizard's name was Merlin.

"Merlin!" Everyone, except for Ash, Cloud, Leon, and Tifa, shouted his name.

"It's about damn time you show up, you damn old geezer." Cid insulted the old wizard with a smirk.

"An old geezer, you say? Well, I will teach you who is an old geezer! Take this!" In anger, Merlin waved his magic wand before shooting it at Cid. The stardust quickly struck Cid and before long…

***POOF***

Once the puffy smoke around Cid died out, everyone sweat dropped when they see a small green toad with blond-hair and a toothpick in his mouth, croaking before them.

Once Merlin finally calms down, the old wizard turned his attention to the gulping prince. Merlin gave Ash a warm smile. "Don't be alarmed, Your Highness, I won't do anything like that to you. I rest assure you, my dear boy." Ash sighed in relief to know that. "Now then, I assume you want some answers?" Ash nodded. "Well, my boy, I don't have all the answers, but I will try to do my best to give you the right ones."

"Thank you, sir." Ash said to the kind wizard with a smile. Merlin smiled back.

"It's no trouble, lad. Now then, are you ready?" Ash nodded.

"Yes."

"Good. Oh, before I start explaining, I should advise all you lads to take a seat because it's going to be a long explanation."

Once everyone, except for Toad Cid, settled into his or her seats, Merlin cleared his throat before starting his explanation. "Now, lads….the reason Ash was brought back here was because f-…"

**A/N: CLIFFHANGAR! Sorry! You will just have to wait until next chapter! Other than that, did you enjoy this chapter? Yeah, I added a little humor into this chapter. I did not want to make it all boring towards the end because of all the talking. Anyway, I hope I had everyone, except for Ash in character. If not, then I apologize. Other than that, did you notice the small build up of a crush from the three women? If so, then do not worry, there will be more. Just be patient, okay? Now with that being said, please R & R! Thank you! Until next time! Peace out! ^_^**

**Johan07! **


	6. The New Journey Begins: Radiant Garden 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ash Ketchum from Pokemon nor do I own characters from Square Enix, Disney, Biohazard, or any other company. _

_**Fandom: **__Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts_

_**Title**__: Where They Wait For Him! The New Journey Begins: Radiant Garden!_

_**Character (s): **__Ash (18), Snow (21), Hope (14), Merlin (Unknown), Cid (44), Leon (27), Aerith (22-24), Yuffie (18), Tifa (22-24), Cloud (24), Maleficent (Unknown), Pete (Unknown), Jafar (Unknown), Oogie Boogie (Unknown), S (Somewhere in the 20's), Hades (Unknown), Dr. Drakken (Unknown), Shego (Ranges within the 20's), and Albert Wesker (Currently unknown)_

_**Genre (s): **__Adventure/Friendship/Slight Drama/Slight Romance/Slight Humor_

_**Rated: **__T_

_**Word Count: **4,451_

_**Pairing (s): **__Ash/Aqua, Ash/Cynthia, One-sided Ash/Harem, and One-sided Other Pairings_

_**Summary: **__Ash's world has fallen to the darkness due to the Heartless and now fate has taken him onto an adventure where he must save many worlds from the forces of evil. But at some point, fate will lead Ash to the one he first loved, Aqua. He will encounter new friends, new foes, and new worlds! Can Ash handle it? We will have to wait and see if he is capable of doing so!_

**Where They Wait For Him! The New Journey Begins: Radiant Garden!**

_新しい旅の始まり：輝ける庭を！_

**Radiant Garden**

**1****st**** Visit **_(Part II-II)_

"Now, lads, the reason why Ash was brought back here in the first place was because…" No sooner, Merlin took a dramatic pause, causing most of the members to lean forward. Well? Is he going to tell them or what? What is up with the whole dramatic pausing all of the sudden?

"Uh…aren't you going to tell us, Merlin?" Snow asked while being a little annoyed with the old wizard.

"Yeah. What's the big idea stopping in the middle of the sentence, Merlin?" Yuffie too, looked a little a bit annoyed with Merlin.

"Oh, yes, yes, yes, lads. I was about to. My apologies. I just wanted to add a little suspense into this when I stopped. Did it work?" In a response to his question, the old wizard would receive a round of groans from the group. This was not the time to play games.

"Come on, Merlin. Stop stalling already. Just tell us already about Ash. We don't have all day." Yuffie said rudely to the old man.

"Why, I never!" Merlin looks offended by the ninja princess's impoliteness towards him.

"Just ignore her, Merlin." Leon interrupted with a sigh. "It works for me, every time Yuffie gets on my nerves." Yuffie puffed her cheeks.

"Well, excuse me, Squall!" The ninja sounded pissed. Leon could not help, but rolled his eyes at her child-like behavior. He did not have the time or energy to waste his breath arguing with the annoying ninja.

Completely ignoring the steamed girl for just a brief second, the Gunblade wielder returned his attention right back onto the old wizard. "However, Yuffie is right about one thing. Just tell us already."

"Very well, Leon." After a brief second of silence, Merlin quickly turned his attention to the young key bearer who was staring at him anxiously. Merlin took a deep breath. It was now or never. "Ash, the reason you were sent back here again is because fate has brought you here for a reason."

"Fate?" Ash sounded pretty confused when he heard this. However, he was not alone on this. Some of his friends were just confused as he was while others, like Leon and Cloud might have a clue on what Merlin is talking about. "What do you mean by that, Merlin?"

"I believe you know what I mean, my dear lad." Merlin said to the confused teen. Ash felt so lost now.

"I-I…do?" The old wizard nodded.

"Indeed, you do, but you just don't know it yet." Okay, now Merlin was not making any sense at all.

"Eh….okay…? I really don't understand all of this at all." Snow interrupted as he scratched the back of his head.

Merlin completely ignored Snow and the others as he continued to stare at the former prince of Radiant Garden. "I know all of this sounds very confusing, Ash, but I know you can figure it out."

"I hope so…." Merlin chuckled.

"You need to think positive, lad. I have total confidence in you. After all, you _might _be the "winning key" to all of this." The old wizard explained.

"The winning key?" Ash said confusedly, titling his head to the side.

"But of course. After all, fate did _choose_ you." There is that word again. "Fate", what does that even mean? How can fate choose someone, especially like him, of all people? Or, was it the fact that fate was already with him to begin with? Either way, all of this sounded just a bit too farfetched to believe.

"I still don't understand, Merlin."

"You're not the only one, Ash." Merlin spoke with a chuckle. "None of us here really understand it at all, but don't worry, lad. Everything will come clear to you and all of us in due time. Just give it a little more time and I'm sure you will figure it out soon."

"Okay. I will keep that in mind." Ash said with a small smile. "Thanks, Merlin." The old wizard could not help, but smiled at the young teen.

"No problem, my dear-…"

"Sorry to interrupt this…" All eyes suddenly fell on Cloud when he suddenly spoke up. "…But this still doesn't tell us why the kid is here, Merlin."

"Oh, there is where you are wrong, lad." Everyone suddenly blinked in confusion at the old wizard. What did he mean by that?

"What do you mean, Merlin?" Aerith questioned, still looking a little confused.

"You see, my dear. Ash is very important." Merlin started before he was interrupted yet again by someone.

"Uh…I think we can see that, Mr. Merlin." Hope said, eying at his new friend.

"Of course you do, my boy." Merlin said with a smile. "But…not even close…" The silver-haired boy didn't quite understand what he just said to him.

"Excuse me?"

Merlin decided to take this opportunity to tell everyone a little bit more about Ash's background. The old wizard started off by telling everyone that Ash is the rightful son to the previous ruler of the world. To everyone's eyes, they already know that. And clearly, Merlin can tell by the looks on their faces. But soon their expression changed when they heard something shocking from Merlin. The old wizard went deeper into Ash's history. Merlin did not leave any detail out. Merlin went down the line from Ash being the last descendant of the Aura Masters to where he was force to be abandoned because of his father believed that he would bring a terrible tragedy and corruption to the universe. At this point, Ash did not want anyone to give him any sympathy. He did not want that. Ash knows his life was pretty mess up, but this was not the time to worry about the past. No matter how much it hurts, there was no way to change the past, so they should let it be.

Once everyone respected Ash's wishes, Merlin decided to finish things up. However, before he could, the old wizard quickly turned his attention right back onto the young key bearer. Ash took notice of the elderly man's stare. Was there something on Merlin's mind? "Ash, if you don't mind, please show us your Keyblade."

At this moment, all eyes were all on Ash who also looks surprised. How in the world did Merlin figured out he could use the Keyblade? "H-How did you-…"

Merlin chuckled at the teen's expression. "I might be a wise old man, but that doesn't stop me from sensing the presence of the Keyblade within its wielder's soul. And plus, my dear old friend, Yen Sid told me about it. He told me that a new key bearer was born and sensed that it was _you_ who was the one." Merlin explained.

'_Yen Sid?' _For some strange reason, Ash heard that name before. It sounded so familiar to him. Why? Did he meet Yen Sid before? It looks like it, but he did not have time to think about that right now. "Uh…sure…"

Without wasting another second, Ash quickly placed his right hand and before long, his Two Become One appeared within his grasp. Everyone was pretty amazed with Ash. No one was more amazed than Hope and Snow. This was their very first time having a close encounter with the legendary weapon.

"Wow, nice blade, man. It looks awesome." Snow complimented with a grin.

"Thanks, Snow." Ash said with a happy grin on his face.

"You're so lucky, Ash." Everyone can tell Hope was pretty jealous of Ash, but not in a bad way.

"Well, this is a first. I would have never imagined that an Aura Master like Ash would be capable of wielding the Keyblade like Sora and King Mickey." Leon stated in a calm tone.

"The kid is something all right." Cloud commented, not budging a muscle from his composure. But somewhat, the blond swordsman did sounded pretty impressed. It is not everyday you see an Aura Master as a Keyblade Master.

"What do YOU expect? Ash is far more special than Sora. Isn't that right, Ash?" Yuffie beamed with a happy-going grin on her cute face. Ash sweat dropped.

"Uh…"

"Either way, this is great. Now we have another Keyblade wielder on our side." Aerith gleamed with happiness. Tifa nodded in agreement.

"With Ash on our side, it will make our job a lot easier now when we are dealing with the Heartless." The martial artist said to her group.

"Even so, we can't always rely on Ash, like we did with Sora when it comes to the Heartless, guys." Leon interrupted.

"Way a go on ruining the mood, SQUALL!"

"How many times do I have to tell you, Yuffie? My name is not Squall, it's Leon." The Gunblade wielder corrected with an icy-cold glare.

"Whatever you said, SQUALL!" Leon was on the edge of losing his patient with Yuffie.

"But Leon is right though…" All eyes fell on Cloud who interrupted the little quarrel between Leon and Yuffie. Thank god he did. Leon was about to use his Gunblade to kill Yuffie. "We can't always rely on the kid and his Keyblade most of the time. Sometimes we need to handle things on our own, or else we won't learn anything if we continued to relay on a kid and his magical sword."

"CLOUD!"

Surely enough, Cloud would completely ignore both of his longtime fan girls for speaking out his mind. "Don't "Cloud" me, you two. Out of everyone, you two should know that I'm right." Cloud said in a sternly voice, not looking at them.

"Yeah, but you didn't have to say it in a rude manner, Cloud." Tifa scolded at her longtime friend and crush. Cloud rolled his eyes before turning his attention to Merlin, completely ignoring the two women.

"Merlin, don't you think you should tell Ash about his objective." Cloud said to the old wizard, in an effort to remind Merlin about something.

"Oh, yes, you're right, Cloud. Thank you for reminding me." The blond swordsman gave the wizard a slow nod before returning to his composure once again.

"My objective?" Ash looked a bit curious about this. What was it? Quickly, Merlin turned his attention to the young teen.

Quickly, Merlin took a brief moment explaining the every detail about not one, not two but three of his main objectives. Clearly, the objectives were plain and simple. Well, maybe to Merlin, but not to Ash. You see, Ash's first objective is mainly simple. It was basically taking Sora's job of protecting the other worlds from the Heartless. The second objective was for him to learn and master not only his aura power and abilities, but also fulfilled his role as the Keyblade's Chosen One. Sounds simply, right? Not really. But moving on, Ash's third and final objective was probably his most important one, out of all of them.

Apparently, his final objective was related to him and him alone, which was… No matter how bad things may look, he must not use the Dark Aura, or better yet, fall into darkness at all cost. If any of these events come in realty, then the terrible tragedy that his father foreseen since the day of his birth will come true. They cannot let that happen, no matter what.

Right away, the young key bearer promised to all of his friends that he will never let that happen. Once he promised that, everyone, including Cloud, smiled warmly at the young teen's response.

With Ash's objectives out of the way, Merlin decided to give Ash a little extra information about the other worlds he might encounter and also his role as a key bearer. Once everything was narrow down to a simple matter, Merlin decided to bring up another topic before he forgets.

"Oh, there is one thing I need to tell before you set off to your journey, my boy." Merlin started, causing Ash to stare at him once again.

"Oh? What is it, Merlin?" Before the old wizard could tell him, he first needed to summon out something for the young teen to look at.

***POOF***

Suddenly, a small capsule with light blue pills inside appeared within Merlin's right palm. Immediately, Ash quickly recognizes what Merlin was holding. "Are those my aura pills?" By asking that, every single person quickly turned his or her attention to Merlin. They were pretty curious on what were these aura pills?"

"Aura pills? What are they? Some new type of medicine or something?" Yuffie asked.

"Are you sick, Ash?" The flower woman asked with great concern on her face. By then, everyone except for Merlin, Cloud, and Toad Cid, was glancing at Ash's direction with concern looks.

Before Ash could tell his friends that it was not a serious case, Merlin cut him off. "There's nothing to worry, lads. Ash is not in any serious condition and all. He just needs to pills to help him rejuvenate his aura."

"Why?" Hope asked for everyone.

In a quick explanation, the old wizard told the group that Ash is unlike normal people since Aura Masters like him are born that way. Merlin moves into detail that Aura Masters need methods, in order for them to rejuvenate their aura properly. You see, being born as an Aura Master or descendant does have its difficulties, which sometimes can lead to serious problems. Quickly, Merlin went down a list of ways that can or in terms, maybe can help Ash. The first two methods were pretty simple: rest normally or take special pills known as Aura pills. Unfortunately, those two methods were the slowest procedures.

However, there was a fast method, but it was somewhat embarrassing to mention it. But even so, he had to mention it. Once he did, a burning shade of redness appeared on everyone's faces. Even Cloud and Leon were blushing, but not much as Ash who was blushing, like a steaming hot tomato when Yuffie, Tifa, and Aerith were staring at his direction. Why can't Merlin just leave _that _one out?

Once the awkward moment was gone, Merlin refocused his attention right back onto Ash who was avoiding any eye contact from the three ladies. "Okay…Ash, here you go. These pills are likely to help you much better than the ones you had. After all, I made these for you."

"Really?" Merlin nodded.

"Why, of course, my boy." He started with a chuckle. "During my time, I did do some research about Aura Masters. Therefore, I was able to come up with a new type of pills for you, but be careful not to take them often. They are still testing process."

"Uh…okay…" Ash said uncertainly. Now that Merlin mentioned that. Ash felt a little bit worried about taking them now. But what choice does he have? "I'll make sure I don't." The young teen accepts the small capsule from the old man before giving him a smile. "Thanks, Merlin."

"Anytime, my boy." The old wizard returned the smile with his own smile. "But I advise you to head off to your journey as soon as possible. The other worlds are calling for you."

"Sure…um…when?" Ash asked.

"Let's worry about that once you have some rest, Ash." Leon butted in, causing the young key bearer to stare at him. "If what Merlin just told us about Aura Masters, then we can't let leave until your aura is fully restore. So just rest up until then."

Ash thought for a minute. Maybe he should rest up for a bit. After all, his body is still weak along with his aura. He needed time to recover, but at the same time, he was getting restless. He wanted to start his journey as soon as possible. After all, he did have a promise to keep. But after some reconsideration from his friends, Ash decided to stay for a while. "Okay….I'll stay for a bit." His decision made most of his friends happy to hear that.

"Wise choice, my-…"

***SPLAT* **

Before Merlin could say another word, Toad Cid suddenly launched himself at the old wizard's face. "Oh, dear. Get him off ME!" The old wizard cried before running around back and forth, trying to get the angry toad off his face. Everyone sweat dropped.

Well, this was going to be awkward stay for Ash. Let's hope nothing like that happens to him.

_**(~ The World That Never Was ~)**_

The World That Never Was is, or used to be the home world of Organization XIII and the home for millions of Heartless and Nobodies, but now it was Maleficent's world. After the defeat of Organization XIII, the evil witch simply took over the empty world and placed it under her new management. It has become her world of darkness with the Heartless in her control. No one can stop her now.

And speaking of which, when Maleficent took over The World That Never Was, she also took over Organization XIII's former fortress, Castle That Never Was. Now it is her personal domain for her and for her evil alliance, The Council of Evil.

Waiting patiently inside the castle's meeting room was Maleficent who was staring out through a window, eying below her city of Heartless.

Apparently, Maleficent was keeping herself entertain while she waits for her buffoon of a right-hand man to show up with her special guests. It appears that she wants to have a special board meeting her alliance about something important, which involves with a certain Keyblade bearer. No time sooner, Maleficent would hear loud knocking.

***Boom* *Boom* *Boom***

"You may enter." Maleficent said in her everyday cold tone, with her back still turned against the doors.

***BAM* **

Suddenly, the doors bust wide open and in a second, a familiar black, chubby cat by the name of Pete, walked inside with a big grin of his face. "Ooooooh, Maleficent! I'm back and brought our guests with me!" He claimed.

Slowly, the evil witch turned around when she heard more footsteps entering the room. Immediately, Maleficent recognize some of her council members.

The one with a grey burlap sack for a body was Oogie Boogie from Halloween Town.

The one who looks like a tall, bony man dressed in extravagant clothing with cobra scepter was Jafar from Agrabah.

The one with blue skin and blue flaming "hair" in a black Roman toga was the Lord of the Dead himself, Hades.

The one who looks by far the most intimidating, one-winged man with long, silver hair with long bangs that frame his face in a black leather coat and carries a long katana is very known by his peers as Sephiroth. To Maleficent's eyes, Sephiroth is one of her best and strongest assets. Even she is intimidated by the heartless man's presence.

With the familiar faces counted for, the evil witch focused her attention to those who are quite new to her.

The first one appears to be another blue-skinned man in a blue double-breasted coat with a small scar across his face. His name is Dr. Drakken. Accompanying him was his right-hand man who appears to be a young woman with long, black hair in a green and black jumpsuit. Her name is Shego. They are from Middleton.

Last and not least, the third one appears to be a man with short, faded blond hair with a pair of sunglasses in a black leather trench coat. His name is Albert Wesker. His home world is currently unknown.

A small smirk appeared on the evil witch's face. She was slightly happy that most of her council members _actually _shown up to the group's meeting, but at the same time, she was slightly angry that some of the members did not attended. She will deal with them later. For now, it was time to start their meeting.

_**(~ Radiant Garden ~) **_

"Are you sure you want to leave now, kid?" Cid who is now back to his normal self, asked Ash who was standing right in front of him and his friends, outside of Merlin's place. Ash nodded.

"Are you sure it's not too soon for you to be leaving, Ash?" Aerith asked, looking very concerned for the young teen's well-being. Ash nodded.

"I'm positive, Aerith." The young woman did not look too convinced. "And no worries, I'm fine." The young key bearer reassured her with a warm smile.

"Okay, but be careful, all right?"

"I will."

Soon Leon step forward with something in his hand as he slowly approaches Ash. "Well, Ash, good luck on your journey."

"Thanks, Leon." Ash grinned. Leon could not help, but chuckled. Ash reminds him a little bit of Sora.

"No problem, Ash. But anyway…here…." The Gunblade wielder shows Ash a device that looks like some kind of a communicator. "…Take this."

"What is it?" Ash asked as he takes the communicator away from Leon.

"It's a communicator, kid." Cid explained, gnawing his toothpick. "It will help us keep in touch. AND YOU BETTER NOT BREAK IT!" Ash sweat dropped.

"Uh…I promise I won't." Ash said awkwardly, pleasing Cid.

"Good." Everyone rolled his or her eyes at him.

"Anyway, we will contact you immediately when Sora and his friends arrive at Radiant Garden, all right?" Ash nodded. "From what I heard, Sora and his friends won't be arriving until one week." Leon informed.

"So don't be a stranger now. Come back anytime when you get tired, all right?"

"I'll keep that in mind, Yuffie." Ash assured the hyperactive ninja with his trademark, causing her to blush slightly.

"I'll keep your word on that." She said shyly, which made Ash nodded.

Soon Ash would receive goodbye hugs from the girls while receiving handshakes and pats on the back from the guys. Once the goodbyes were out of the way, it was time for Ash to depart. However, before he could, something unexpected happens.

***GROWLS***

Suddenly, all eyes fell on Ash who was blushing madly from the embarrassment. It seems like he was hungry. "Um…I guess I'm little bit hungry, guys." He chuckled sheepishly.

Same old Ash. When will he learn? Probably never, I guess.

**A/N: Finally, the chapter is done. I hope this chapter explains a little bit about Ash. If you were wondering about the third method, it has something to do with women and their um….you know. I got that idea from my one of my stories. I hope it does not bother you. Apart from that, sorry if there was not much moments between Ash and the three Final Fantasy girls. But do not worry, there will be later on. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! Please R & R! Thank you! Until next time! Peace out! ^_^**

**P.S. - I need your guys' help. I need FIVE more villains to be "missing" members of Maleficent's Council of Evil that I did not mention yet. If you guys have any suggestion, do not hesitate. ANY villain came be from another Final Fantasy game, another game, an anime, a Disney cartoon show, or a Cartoon Network cartoon. Hope you guys can help! Thank you! ^_^**

**Johan07!**


	7. The New Journey Begins: Kijuju, Africa!

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ash Ketchum from Pokemon nor do I own characters from Square Enix, Disney, Biohazard, or any other company. _

_**Fandom: **__Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts_

_**Title**__: Where They Wait For Him! The New Journey Begins: Kijuju, Africa! _

_**Character (s): **__Ash (18), Snow (21), Hope (14), Merlin (Unknown), Cid (44), Leon (27), Aerith (22-24), Yuffie (18), Tifa (22-24), Cloud (24), Albert Wesker (Currently unknown), Jill Valentine (Unknown), and Excella Gionne (Unknown)_

_**Genre (s): **__Adventure/Friendship/Slight Humor/Slight Romance/Suspense/Supernatural/Horror _

_**Rated: **__T_

_**Word Count: **5,826_

_**Pairing (s): **__Ash/Aqua, Ash/Cynthia, One-sided Ash/Harem, and One-sided Other Pairings_

_**Summary: **__Ash's world has fallen to the darkness due to the Heartless and now fate has taken him onto an adventure where he must save many worlds from the forces of evil. But at some point, fate will lead Ash to the one he first loved, Aqua. He will encounter new friends, new foes, and new worlds! Can Ash handle it? We will have to wait and see if he is capable of doing so!_

**Where They Wait For Him! The New Journey Begins: Kijuju, Africa! **

_新しい旅の始まり：__Kijuju__、アフリカを！_

"Okay, let's try this again." Snow joked with a grin. Immediately, Ash slightly blushed while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry." That was the only thing Ash can say to his friends.

After an hour worth of eating and another hour of chatting with his friends, Ash finds himself standing right in front of the group outside of Merlin's place, once again.

"It's okay, Ash." Hope reassured his friend that everything was fine with a chuckle. "Sometimes some of us forget to do stuff like eating for example. So don't worry about it." Ash nodded with a smile.

"Thanks, Hope." The silver-haired boy nodded his head as well before giving his friend a smile of his own.

Soon afterwards, Ash would yet again receive temporarily goodbyes from the party and a sneaky kiss on a cheek from Yuffie. Immediately, Ash's face skyrocketed to a crimson color from the female ninja's sudden "good luck" kiss. The guys, except for Cloud and Leon snickered at the blushing teen.

Once the snickering and teasing were out of the way, it was time for Ash to take his leave. But before he could even do that, a certain subject came across everyone's mind and that was… How is he going to travel? "Hey…uh…Ash?"

Quickly, Ash turns his attention to Snow. "Yeah, Snow?"

"Don't get me wrong or everything, but… I was wondering-…"

"Don't you mean _we_, Snow?" Hope corrected.

"Yeah!" The ninja princess agreed with the silver-haired boy. Clearly, everyone, except for Ash, Cloud, and Leon rolled their eyes at the two youngsters.

"Yeah, _we_…" The former I'Cie rephrased himself with a snort. "We were wondering how are you going to leave this world? The last time I check, Hope and I found you."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that as well." Leon spoke up with his arms crossed.

"If you don't have a ship, maybe you can ask Cid for one, Ash." Aerith suggested. "I'm sure he would gladly let you borrow one of his Gummi ships. Isn't that right, Cid?" The young woman asked, turning her attention the town's ship mechanic.

"Sure, why not?" The blond-haired man agreed with a shrug. He did not care in the world. But soon that will all change. "I'll let you borrow one of my ships, kid. But… you better not wreck it like that numbskull Sora. That stupid brat needs to stop WRECKING ALL OF MY GOD DAMN GUMMI SHIPS, EACH TIME HE USES THEM! HE'S STARTING TO GET ON MY GOD DAMN NERVES" Cid breaks out into a raging and cursing fit. At this point, everyone and I mean everyone sweat dropped.

Sure, the former prince really appreciates the sudden offer of borrowing one of Cid's Gummi ships. But soon Ash was having second thoughts at this point. Maybe he should not accept the kind offer, after all. By the way Cid was throwing a temper tantrum over this mess, Ash decided to give the cursing man a break for once. And besides, if Ash remembers correctly, he has another way of traveling. So it was basically a win-win situation for him and for Cid.

"Uh…guys?" All eyes fell on him. Well, except for Cid, of course. The town's ship mechanic was too busy cursing and throwing a tantrum to pay any attention to Ash once so ever. "I really appreciate the kind offer, but I must decline." By now, everyone was giving him a look. Was it about Cid or something else that was making the former prince having second thoughts about the offer? To some, it was Cid. To others, it could be another reason. "No offense to everyone and to Cid, but I already have something that can help me journey around from place to place."

"Really?" Aerith asked curiously. Ash nodded. "What is it?" A big grin formed on the young teen's face.

"Instead of me saying it, how about I show _it_ to you guys." Everyone with Cid blinked confusedly. What did he mean by that?

Slowly, the young key bearer took a couple of steps back before summoning out his black and white Keyblade. _'I should thank Aqua for this.' _Ash mentally said to himself.

Soon the former prince slammed his left hand on his black and white shoulder plate. Within a second, Ash was engulfed in a bright light, clearly blinding those around him. As the light slowly dies away, everyone quickly opens his or her eyes. The moment they did, they were completely taken aback when they see Ash standing there in a black and white armor, from head to toe with a flowing white cape attached on his back. They were completely awestruck. Even Ash was astonished by this since this was his first time in his armor form.

'_This is so cool!' _Ash chirped mentally within his mind. But this was not time to be awestruck just yet.

Shaking off his happy feeling, the armored key bearer quickly pointed his weapon up into the air. And before long, the tip of the Keyblade shoots a beam of light upward into the sky.

Suddenly, a magical warp gate opened up within the sky. Soon Ash hurled his Two Become One into the air. And before long, his key-looking blade was engulfed in a bright light. Once the light subsided, a black and white glider, similar to Ventus's glider, suddenly flew towards Ash's direction before hovering right beside its owner's side.

"WHOA!" Yuffie and Hope said in chorus, clearly awestruck by Ash's new appearance and glider.

"Not bad, man." Snow grinned, from head to toe.

Within his helmet, a big grin spread across the young key bearer's face. It seems his friends were pretty impressed with his new gear and ride. But this was not the time to goof off. Ash really needed to start his solo-journey as quickly as possible.

Quickly, Ash jumps onboard his Keyblade Glider. Soon he turned his attention to the group before giving them a mockery salute. The party gave him a round of goodbye waves. However, before Ash can take off, Snow and Hope quickly stopped him from leaving when something came to them.

"Oh…! Hold on a sec, Ash!" Quickly, the gentle giant and the young medic ran over to their friend's side. They wanted to ask him something.

"What is it, guys?" The young key bearer asked curiously, narrowing his attention to his two new friends.

"Can we ask you for a favor, Ash?" Hope asked. Ash nodded.

"Sure. What's the favor?"

Without wasting another second, Snow quickly asked Ash if he ever come across his bride-to-be, Serah and Sis who goes by the name, Lightning during his travels. Snow wanted his friend to tell them to "please come home to Radiant Garden" because they are worried sick about them.

"Hey! And don't forget about Fang, Vanille, Sazh, and Dajh too, Snow." The silver-haired boy reminded his goofball of a friend about their other missing friends.

"Oops! Yeah, them too." Snow laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head embarrassedly while Hope rolled his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me, Hope."

"No problem, Snow." The young boy said sarcastically, clearly making Snow rolled his eyes at his sarcasm.

"Sure, guys. I'll tell them." Ash said, gaining the pair's undivided attention. "But first, what do they look like?"

As soon as the former prince asked that, Snow and Hope did not waste any time. They quickly described each of their friends to Ash. And once Ash narrowed everything down and got all the details memorized in his thick skull, he gave his two friends a nod. "Okay. I will make sure to tell them to come here if I run into them."

"Thanks, man. We really appreciate it." Snow grinned before grasping Ash's hand with his own before pulling apart from each other.

"What _this _guy just said." Hope laughed with a tease before shaking Ash's hand before they pulled apart as well.

"Who are you calling _this _guy, Hope?" Snow demanded with a pout. Hope rolled his eyes, clearly knowing that the big oaf could not take a joke. Ash chuckled at the pair. They were clearly an interesting pair, indeed.

"Well, guys, it's time for me to go."

"All right, man, take care of yourself." Snow said with a grin, giving Ash a thumb's up.

"And good luck." Hope added. The young key bearer nodded his head to them before the pair stepped back to give him some room. It was time to take his leave. Unfortunately, that did not happen right away.

"…"

"…"

"…"

An awkward silence filled the air. The reason why was because everyone, including Ash took notice that he was budging from spot. The young teen tried to lean forward from side to side, but nothing happen. Ash tried to move forward and back, but to no avail. His rider was not budging, no matter what he did.

By now, only one and obvious conclusion came out of this and that was… It was the fact that Ash did not have a single clue about his rider. More or less, he did not have a clue on how to move it. If the former prince remembers correctly, his first love did say something about him had to learn things on his own when it comes something like this. _'I hate you, Aqua…' _

Honesty, Ash had to take some of the blame as well since he was the _one_ who totally forgot what Aqua just said to him from before, so shame on him for being so damn forgetful. However, he did not have time to worry about that. Frustration started to flow within him _'Oh, just great! Just when I get something awesome, I just realize I do not know how to use it. What else can go WRONG? Why can't you just move forward ALREADY?' _The young key bearer stomped his right feet in anger. Ash was just asking for it.

On cue, the young teen's glider suddenly shot forward, completely startling Ash. "WHOA!" Ash yelped in surprise as his glider continues to speed forward until a Moogle's shop came into the young teen's view. Oh, boy. This was not good. Ash was completely heading towards a nearby Moogle shop. Ash started to panic. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, NOOOOOOOOO!"

***CRASH***

Everyone sweat dropped.

The Moogle's shop was completely destroyed and in a wreck. Ash's glider was stuck within the wreckage while the young key bearer and the poor Moogle was hanging upside down with crazy swirls for their eyes. "Please, stop the world from spinning. I wanted to get off…" Ash said dizzily.

Yet again, everyone sweat dropped.

After apologizing to the Moogle and paying for the damages, Ash decided to spend an hour of getting use to his new glider. The hour was all Ash needed to master his glider. Apparently, during the hour, Ash learned that his glider is linked to his mind. In order to make it move, he had to think it. Strange, isn't it? I know. Once the young teen had everything narrow down, he finally took his leave.

Now his journey finally begins.

**Obtained!**

*****Aura Pills*****

*****Keyblade Glider*****

_**(~ Outer Space ~)**_

With Radiant Garden behind him for the time being, the young teen pushed aside his mix feelings and stay focus on his main objective, which was to protect each world he come across. It was his duty.

As the young key bearer was slowly surfing through the quiet mass known as space, he took the moment to view the beautiful surroundings around him-especially the beautiful stars.

'_This is so cool. I would have never thought in a million of years would I get the chance to see the stars up close. It is unbelievable. If only I can share this moment with Cy-…' _Suddenly, Ash's heart sank when he just remember he cannot share this lovely moment with the one he was truly dedicated to, Cynthia. _'Cynthia…' _

There was a moment of silence. Sad emotions started to flow within the young teen for a brief second until Ash shook them off. This was not the time to feel down. This was the time to move forward. He knows already that nothing in the world can change the past. No matter what how much it hurts, he cannot let the past memories get to him. He needs to stay focus. In order to redeem his mistakes, he must move forward and correct them. That is the only way he can earn forgiveness from those he let down.

'_I know I let you and everyone down, Cynthia… But I know I can fix this. Just please… wait for me a little bit longer. I promise to bring you guys back from the darkness, okay? So just hang in there until then. And do not worry, Aqua, I did not forget about you and your friends. I will save you guys too, so don't worry.' _

Ash made a promise that he will save everything soon. And that is what he is going to do. He cannot let them down no matter what. For now, he needed to stay on what is ahead.

Suddenly, Ash snapped his attention straight ahead when he spotted an incoming world in his direction. The new world reminds him a little bit about his own world, Mother Earth. However, there was something strange about it. For one thing, the new world that he was heading to had a bunch of hazard signs all over it, indicating that something was up.

In order to find some answers, Ash needed to head to the planet right away. And so he did.

What will be waiting for Ash once he gets there? Who knows? Only time will tell.

**Kijuju, Africa**

**1****st**** Visit **_(Part I-III)_

Arriving at his somewhat destination, Ash found himself walking along a dirt path within a poverty-looking environment, mostly a village of somewhat. Around him were local buildings, homes, and markets that were poorly constructed and built. Also around him were several tall trees, with some appears to be dead and several telephone poles. On a side note, were those car tires sticking out from the ground? In addition, was that a broken down truck with no wheels near that shop over there? It appears so. It was somewhat weird and somewhat suspicious if you ask me. Even so, the young traveler did not take the time to take notice of it since he was too busy sightseeing his surroundings.

As Ash continues to explore around the unknown village some more, his nose suddenly picks up a foul odor within the air. The stench was so powerful. It made the young teen stopped in his tracks. "What is that smell?" He asked no one in particular before covering his nose and mouth with his hand. _'Whatever it is, it smells worst than that time Pikachu accidentally farted in my face.' _

Whatever the bad stench was, it was hundred times worst than Pikachu's gas. The bad odor smelled like rotten meat went past its overdue date for the past three weeks now. Or better yet, it smelled like a dead corpse that has been left out in the sun for two weeks straight without anyone knowing about it as it started to hit the decomposing stage. No matter what it was, it still smells like a pile of rotten something.

The young key bearer started to look back and forth in hopes to track down where the bad stench was coming from. No sooner, Ash quickly spots a lifeless corpse that was a few feet away from him. Whatever it was, it was lying on top of a pile of a small haystack. The young teen could not tell what it was because its appearance was so foreign to him.

Lying on the haystack was a four-legged animal that looks like a small goat. Its body was covered in mud and dirt as its fur lost its color. The same goes with its pupils. They were not showing any sign of life. They were completely blank. Its mouth was wide open with its tongue sticking straight out, to give it a funny expression. Horse flies were all over the body while several black crows were pecking it.

The young key bearer sighed in relief. _'Glad that wasn't a human body…'_Ash was so glad it was not a person or else he would start to panic, then freak out afterwards. But still, the young teen did feel bad for the poor creature. It was once alive creature, but now it was a lifeless carcass. _'Poor thing…' _Life was so cruel. And there was nothing he can do for now.

Moaning over the dead cannot help him now. No matter how much he hates it, he has to move forward. That is all he can do for now.

The moment Ash continued to move forward, the moment he started to get this uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched. The feeling is mutual.

Far, far off from where Ash is at, there were three mysterious figures standing on a rooftop of one of the buildings. One of which was none other than Albert Wesker while the other two were completely unknown for the moment. A small smirk tugged on the evil man's lips. He did not expect to see _his_ little prey so soon. This must be fate. "Excellent…"

Quickly, the young key bearer stopped in tracks before turning to the direction where he suddenly senses a strong presence. The moment Ash did, the moment he did not see anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing in the clearing. Not even from the same rooftop where he first sensed that strong presence.

Ash blinked confusedly. "That was weird." He muttered to himself. "I could have sworn there was something over there." The young teen continues to glance back and forth towards the rooftop's direction until he gave up. "I guess I'm just a little jumpy… That must be it…" Ash said before shrugging his shoulders, dismissing the case.

Before Ash can take another step forward, he took one final moment to glance his shoulders to make sure his mind was not playing any tricks on him. Once everything was a-okay, Ash went on his way.

Unaware to the young teen, when he had his back turned, Wesker and his two acquaintances suddenly reappeared. But this time, on a different rooftop where they continued to view Ash from a far distance. "I must say, Wesker…"

Slowly, the sunglasses-wearing man turned his undivided attention to his partner-in-crime who appears to be a fine-looking woman with a somewhat flirtatious personality when it comes to her love for him. Her name is Excella Gionne, the self-proclaimed "Queen" of the new world.

"The boy you mention to _us_ before is quite sharp for his young age." Excella said in awe.

"Indeed, he is." Wesker did not sound too impressed. The former leader of S.T.A.R.S. knows fully well _his_ little target has a long way to go before he can become a major threat to him and his plans. For now, Ash was nothing, but a little pup that needs to be fed. "But the boy still lacks a motive to achieve his full potential. If he was not an important asset to _our_ plans, I could not care less about him. Aura Master or Keyblade Master, it does not matter to me at all. In the end, I can easily kill the dear brat and then move forward onto my _dear _friend, Chris Redfield."

"I'm sure you can, darling." Excella purred seductively as she wrapped herself around Wesker's right arm. "However, I know you can't do it… _right now_, of course. From what I heard from you about _that _old witch, the dear boy is still important."

"My dear, when it comes down to being useful or disposable…" Wesker suddenly grasped Excella's face with his other hand before leaning in closer to her face. "The boy is nothing more than another disposable tool when the time comes. Remember that, my dear…" He whispered in a cold tone. The charming woman yanked her face away from his grip. A small smirk tugged on his lips. "For now, all we can do is follow _that_ pitiful woman's orders and keep the boy alive."

"And what about Mr. Chris Redfield?" Excella asked which clearly made Wesker chuckled.

"Oh, don't worry, Excella. Chris will be dealt with when the time comes." The lunatic reassured his partner. "For now, we will fully concentrate on the Uroboros project and Ash." The "Queen" nodded in agreement.

"Very well, darling." She cooed. Soon Excella would turn her attention her partner's mysterious right-hand man who turns out to be Jill Valentine in disguise. Her disguise consists of a long cloak and a beak-shaped mask.

After all this time, not once did Jill open up her mind into the pair's conversation. She just stood there like a statue while gazing at Ash's direction. Excella was pretty curious on what her comrade was thinking about. Was it about _their_ target, or was it about _her_ former partner, Chris? Either way, the nosy woman wanted to find out. "Hey, Jill?"

"…" Jill did not budge her spot when Excella called her name. The masked woman remained still in her position, not losing her composure in the process.

"So what do you think about the dear boy, dear?"

"…"

Immediately, Excella frowned. What was up with her ally? Sure, they might not be friends and all, but that does not give her the right to completely ignored her when she asked her a friendly question. What nerve of her. Who does Jill think she is? "Aren't you going to answer my question, Jill?" The "Queen" growled in a cold tone.

Slightly, Jill turned her head to face _her_ comrade and Wesker. An awkward silence filled the air for a brief second before Jill finally spoke. "If you must know, I think the kid is _very_ unique."

"Is that all?" Excella asked with a raise eyebrow.

No sooner, Jill completely ignored the other woman before turning her attention right back forward. "…Yes."

_**(~ With Ash ~)**_

'_Hmm… this is so strange…' _Ash quickly stopped in tracks before glancing around his surroundings cautiously. _'Where is everyone?' _That was a pretty damn good question, Ash.

Apparently, ever since Ash arrived, he has yet come across a living soul, or more importantly, a single sign of the Heartless anywhere within the entire village. It was pretty strange, but at the same time, pretty suspicious. Why would anyone leave a village like _this_, deserted? What reason can it be? Whatever the reason it might be, Ash did not feel like he was welcomed here at all. He was getting this uneasy feeling that something was going to happen if he does not get his butt out of here as soon as possible. The young key bearer could not agree anymore with his feeling. This village alone was giving off a scale of the heebie jeebies, the more he stays here. It was time for Ash to move out before things get worst.

Unfortunately, for Ash, before he could even take another step forward, an eerie sound caught his attention. It sounded like the eerie noise was coming from behind him.

Quickly, Ash spun around, but spotted nothing out of the ordinary. He blinked confusedly. That was strange. He could have sworn he heard a strange noise right behind him. Was he just hearing things? Must be. But suddenly, the young teen heard another eerie noise. Ash quickly shot forward, but like before, he did not see anything.

Soon the eerie noises were playing mind games with the young key bearer. No matter which way the eerie noises were coming from, Ash could not determine which direction they were coming from. It was like _this _village messing with his head. It was pretty much the case. The young teen was starting to feel pretty much uncomfortable as we speak. _'Okay, now I'm starting to freak out here…' _

After a few moments later, the eerie noises around Ash suddenly stopped, which clearly put a good relief on the young teen for the time being. With the strange noises gone momentarily, a new strange outcome came into Ash's path.

Out of nowhere, Ash spots a dark-tanned man in your "average" everyday orange T-shirt with blue jeans, up ahead. Ash did not know where this guy came from. But, hey, who is complaining? Not Ash. He was actually glad that there was someone else besides him in this eerie village. Now he can ask some questions about this place and other things along the way.

Without hesitation, Ash quickly ran over to the foreign man's direction. As soon as the young teen made his way over to the man's side, Ash started to get a strange, but yet bad vibe from the local native. For one thing, the man's expression tells it all. His expression seems like he was in a grumpy mood or something. Another thing about the man was the fact his face was starting to rot with fresh coming into view and his red eyes were bugging out from their sockets. Ash started to feel a bit concern, but at the same, a little bit uncomfortable by the man's appearance.

"Uh…sir? Are you okay?" Ash asked cautiously, knowing the fact he could not trust the strange man just yet.

Instead of receiving an answer in basic English, the young teen received an angry yell from the deranged man in some kind of foreign language he could not understand. And soon afterwards, the angry villager would give Ash a shove, forcing the young teen to stumble backwards a few inches.

"Okay, okay. You do not have to be a jerk. I'll leave you alone, but are you sure you are okay?" Another rude shove answered his question. "Fine…" Ash sighed in frustration before turning his back on the impolite man and slowly walked off.

Unaware to Ash, the male villager from earlier slowly picks up a crowbar off the ground before trailing right behind his unaware target.

'_Boy, what's was that guy's problem? All I wanted to ask if he was okay and other-…' _Suddenly Ash snapped out of his thoughts before quickly glances over his shoulders. Once he did, he quickly rolled out of the way from his unknown attacker's sneak attack.

"What are you doing?" Ash demanded with a growl. The crowbar-wielding man did not respond to Ash's question. The crazy man let out another shout in his foreign language and before long, trouble bloomed.

Out of nowhere, a crazy mass of villagers with weapons in hand as they were charging towards Ash's direction. Oh, boy. Ash did not know what was going on, but he did not have time to think about it. He needed to run for it.

However, before the young key bearer can make a dash for it, another roadblock got in his way. Suddenly, another mass of crazy lunatics came charging in from his opposite side. Oh, great. Now Ash was completely boxed in with no way out.

Slowly, the crazy mass moves in from all sides until Shadows and Neoshadows decided to show up to join in on the frenzy. Oh, great. The only way out from all of these now is to fight. That was his only option left. There is no other way.

After a brief second of hesitation, the young Aura Master quickly channeled up his aura before summons out his Two Become One Keyblade. Now Ash was ready to take a stand.

Unfortunately, for Ash, things got worse by the second.

Jumping off a rooftop and slowly approaching behind the back rear was a very large foe wearing a blood-soaked black cloth over his head that conceals his face and a large black apron, tattered and soaked in blood. He was carrying a very large and heavy axe with what appears to be an over-sized hammer opposite to the blade. He is known as the Executioner.

'_Oh, crap!' _This did not look good at all. Ash could take a risk on fighting all of the villagers and the Heartless, but it seems he was having second thoughts when it comes to the Executioner. He needed to come up with a new plan and fast. Soon something came to him. Instead of fighting head on, how about he tries to fight smart. That might work for the time being.

Calling off his Keyblade, the former prince quickly formed an aura sphere within his right palm before slamming it downward onto the ground.

***BOOM***

A thick cloud of smoke suddenly engulfed the entire area. As the cloud of smoke slowly fades away, everyone including the Executioner quickly realizes that Ash was no longer in their sight. Where did he go? That was a good question.

Thankfully, Ash was safe and secured. The reason why is because the sneaky key bearer was hiding inside of one of the nearby homes while keeping his presence suppressed from his enemies.

Carefully, Ash peeked through the window and took notice that the villagers, the Heartless, and the Executioner were all heading into different directions in hopes to find him. Once they were all gone, the young teen sighed in relief. _'…That was so c-…'_

***CLICK***

***CLICK***

Ash suddenly froze up. He did not know why, but he suddenly hears a bunch of clicking sounds behind him. Slowly, the young key bearer glanced over his shoulders. The moment he did that, he ended up having a flowerpot crashing down against his skull by one of his unknown assassins.

Immediately, Ash fell to the ground, onto his side with a loud thud. His vision started to become a blur. As he slowly loses consciousness, the last thing he remembers before he passes out was… "…Aqua."

Soon everything went black.

**A/N: Sorry if it took awhile to get this chapter updated. I have to make sure things were right before I posted it. Anyway, I hope Wesker, Jill, and Excella were not out in sync. If they acted a little bit OOC then it is my fault. Other than that, the chapter is finally completed. If you were wondering about what is going to happen to Ash and his relationship with the female Resident Evil characters. Do not worry; they will not fall for Ash. They are NOT part of the harem. However, later on, maybe during Ash's third visit, Jill will make a few remarks about Ash, but that is all. It is nothing too major if you were wondering. For now, I hope you like this chapter! Please R & R! Thank you! Until next time! Peace out! ^_^**

**Johan07!**


	8. The New Journey Begins: Kijuju! Part II

_Disclaimer: I do not own Ash Ketchum from Pokemon nor do I own characters from Square Enix, Disney, Biohazard, or any other company._

_**Fandom: **__Pokemon/Kingdom Hearts_

_**Title**__: Where They Wait For Him! The New Journey Begins: Kijuju, Africa!_

_**Character (s): **__Ash (18), Chris Redfield (38), Sheva Alomar (In her twenties), Josh Stone (37), Albert Wesker (Currently unknown), Jill Valentine (37), and Excella Gionne (Currently unknown)_

_**Genre (s): **__Adventure/Friendship/Slight Humor/Suspense/Supernatural/Horror_

_**Rated: **__T_

_**Word Count: **__5,789_

_**Pairing (s): **__Ash/Aqua, Ash/Cynthia, One-sided Ash/Harem, and One-sided Other Pairings_

_**Summary: **__Ash's world has fallen to the darkness due to the Heartless and now fate has taken him onto an adventure where he must save many worlds from the forces of evil. But at some point, fate will lead Ash to the one he first loved, Aqua. He will encounter new friends, new foes, and new worlds! Can Ash handle it? We will have to wait and see if he is capable of doing so!_

**Where They Wait For Him! The New Journey Begins: Kijuju, Africa!**

_新しい旅の始まり：__Kijuju__、アフリカを！_

**Kijuju, Africa**

**1st Visit **_(Part II-III)_

"_Hey, what is that over there?"_

_Slightly, Ash turned his head to face his former rival while relaxing in his position. "What's what, Gary?" He asked confusedly._

_Slowly, the spiky-haired young researcher moved himself up to a sitting position before pointing a finger towards the direction of Ash's home. Swirling above the small home was a cloud, but not just any ordinal cloud. This cloud was pure purple. And by the looks of it, its appearance alone was giving off some bad mojo. Gary can sense a negative vibe coming from it. He had a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen. "That." He said seriously._

_As soon as Gary pointed out what he was looking at, Ash quickly sat up before turning his gaze towards the strange cloud that was hovering above his home. Immediately, the young Aura Master's expression quickly shifted. He can sense a flow of negative energy leaking out from the abnormal cloud. This wasn't a good sign at all._

_Suddenly, a black blanket covered the once sunny clear sky. As soon as the sky was enveloped by a black mass, Ash and Gary both knew that trouble was brewing. "I don't know what's going on, Ashy-boy, but-…" _

_The young researcher quickly got up to his feet. "…I have a strong feeling that this is our cue to move out as soon as possible." Ash nodded in agreement._

"_You're not alone on this one, Gary." Quickly, Ash got up to his feet without removing his gaze from the dark cloud before him. "I too think we should head back now. That weird cloud is giving me a bad vibe, a REALLY bad vibe." Gary couldn't agree anymore._

"_All right. Let's-…" Unfortunately, the young researcher couldn't finish his sentence in time when dozens of shadow-like creatures spawning beneath the ground. Both trainers were taken aback by the sudden appearances of the Shadows. The two trainers were completely surrounded from all sides by these strange creatures. "What the hell…? What in the world are these guys?" Gary asked, eying the black creatures before him. "Pokemon?"_

"_I don't think so, Gary." Ash stated sternly. The young teen was definitely on his guard. He had a strange feeling he shouldn't take these things likely. Their presence alone was giving off a dark aroma, similar to the one he felt from the weird cloud. "These things are far from being any Pokemon I come across."_

"_Really?" Gary sounded quite surprised. When did his former rival got so sharp, all of the sudden? "How do you know, Ash?"_

"_I just know." Ash simply said, not letting his guard down for one second. His gaze never left its sight off the Heartless for one second either. "And besides, when is the last time you saw Pokemon like them popping out from the ground, all of the sudden?" That question was a no brainier. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure the answer to that._

"_Point taken." The young researcher admitted, quickly dismissing the subject. "So… I'm guessing these little guys are-… WHOA!"_

_Unexpectedly, the Heartless lunged forward, which totally caught Ash and Gary off guard. Their sudden action didn't give the young teens enough time to react. 'Crap!'_

_As the Shadows were inching closer and closer to Ash and Gary, something unexpected happens. Something that was going turn the tide of the outcome._

_In a strange phenomenon, a mysterious bright light suddenly engulfed Ash's entire being, completely blinding everything in sight. And in the process, the Shadows were completely pushed by the mysterious light. Whatever the light was, it was clearly giving Ash a huge advantage._

_As the light dims and fades away, Ash and Gary slowly opens their eyes. Once they did, they were completely taken aback when something unexpected came to their view._

_Within Ash's right grasp was key-like blade known as the Two Become One. It was a surprising development. No one was more surprised than Ash. He didn't have a clue what was going on. And by the looks of Gary, he didn't have a single clue either. Both trainers were awestruck by this blade's sudden appearance. It wasn't Ash's Aura Blade. If it wasn't the Aura Blade, then what the hell was it? It was unlike anything Ash or Gary has ever seen before._

"_What the heck are you holding, Ash?" The young researcher asked in awe, clearly looking astonished with the new weapon his former rival was wielding._

"_I… really don't know, Gary." The former prince told his friend. He too was clearly stumped with his new weapon._

_**It's a Keyblade, Ash…**_

_Ash was completely startled when the familiar female voice came back to him. The young teen glanced back and forth wildly before turning to Gary. He wonders if his former rival heard the female voice like he did._

"_Hey, Gary? Did you just hear a voice just now?" The spiky-haired teen blinked confusedly._

"_Huh? A voice? What voice? I didn't hear anything."_

"_Really?" Gary nodded his head. Gary wasn't the type of person who would be lying to his friends. He was definitely telling Ash the truth. "Weird…" Was Ash starting to lose his sanity? Was he the only one who was hearing this strange female voice within his mind? Maybe so. Apparently, Gary couldn't. So, why not? "I thought you did."_

"_I told you I didn't. Are you feeling all right, Ash?" That was a good question. Was he feeling all right? Why was he the only one who was hearing this strange, but yet familiar voice? Whatever the reason it might be, it was starting to make Gary feel worried._

"_I-I… really… don't know…" Ash admitted with a truthful answer. Even he didn't know if he was feeling all right. How can he?_

_**Don't worry, Ash. You wield the mightiest weapon of all. **__The familiar voice came back to him. Ash clutched his head with his left hand. What is up with the female voice within his mind? And why does it sound so familiar to him? Unfortunately, he didn't have time to ponder over those thoughts._

_**Hey, kid! **__An unfamiliar male voice came to him._

_**Young man, wake up. **__Soon another unfamiliar male voice with a strange African accent came to him._

_Ash didn't have a clue why he was hearing more voices within his head. More importantly, why were they calling out to him? Things didn't make any sense to him at all._

_**KID!**_

_**YOUNG MAN!**_

_Apparently, the two male voices were getting louder and louder by the second. The young champion of Sinnoh needed to find out where these voices were coming from. However, before Ash could get a chance to do so, he quickly took notice that the Shadows were lunging forward at him and Gary, from all sides. The young trainer completely forgot about them, thanks to those strange voices he keeps hearing._

_As Ash and Gary were preparing to defend themselves against their incoming foes, another strange came to the former prince. But unlike the other two male voices he heard, this one was feminine with a slight accent, similar to the one he heard a second ago._

_**Please, wake up**__. __**I'm sorry for hitting you over your head with a flowerpot. Just please open your eyes.**_

_Before Ash could even make out what was going on with him and these voices, a bright white light occurred._

_Everything, including Gary and the black creatures completely vanished, out of thin air. His surroundings suddenly blanked out and before long, the bright light suddenly got brighter and brighter until it completely engulfed his entire being into nothingness and pulled him right back into reality._

_**(~ Dream segment ends - Back into reality ~)**_

"Ah…" The young teen let out a soft moan. Ash was starting to regain consciousness, slowly of course. His brownish-golden were slowly opening up. Once they were, the young teen got the surprise of his life.

Kneeling right in front of him, to his level was a dark-skinned man who was giving him a warm assuring smile. The man appears to be somewhat African. Aside from that, the mysterious man appears to be in some kind of military uniform, packed with so many gears and weaponry strapped to his body. Whoever the man was, it seems like he was part of a military group or something. Either way, he seems like a nice man if he was glad to see Ash awake. His name is Captain Josh Stone, a member of Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance in the Western Division of Africa.

"Glad to see you awake, my young friend." Josh said to Ash with his native accent.

"AH!" Ash was completely startled by Josh's presence. A loud noise echoed within the air when Ash's back slammed against the wall, he was leaning on.

"Take it easy, kid." Quickly, the former prince removed his gaze from Josh and moved it onto another man who was standing right across from him. "We are not here to hurt you… not yet, of course."

Ash raised an eyebrow in suspicion. What did he mean by that? As Ash and the unknown man continued to exchange suspicious glances at one another, Ash took notice that the man was very built and muscular like a gladiator. Not only that, this unknown man was wearing a similar uniform like his friend. He too was also equipped with gears and weaponry. Ash might not know this by now, but this man goes by the name of Chris Redfield.

Any who… before the young teen could ask who were these guys, a sharp pain came to him. It was really excruciating. It felt like he was having a migraine, a very bad one. The back of his head was pounding like it was no tomorrow. "O…w…"

"It seems your headache hasn't gone away yet. But don't worry, it will. You're just lucky Sheva held back when she smashed your head with Chris's flowerpot or else you would have been in a coma for a week." Josh said to the baffled teen with a chuckle.

"W-What…?"

"JOSH!" Quickly, Ash turned his head to the left to see a lovely African woman who was blushing madly, due to her former mentor's teasing. She was in her RE5 standard uniform, which was exposing some of her cleavage. The young woman goes by the name of Sheva Alomar.

"I'm just telling the truth, Sheva." The African man said in his heartwarming tone, which causes his dear friend to glare at him angrily.

Before the young African woman could shot back a response, Chris cut her off. "And just to lay down the law for you, Josh. That wasn't my flowerpot; it was Jill's, JILL'S!" The former S.T.A.R.S. member argued with a shout, causing everyone in the hideout to sweat drop at his outburst.

Okay… that was really awkward. Maybe they should move on before things get really weird.

Snapping out of his dumbfounded state, Ash turned his attention to Josh. "Who are you guys?" The young teen asked cautiously.

"Oh… right! Where are our manners? You must be wondering who we are, right?" Uh… yeah. Ash just asks that, lamebrain. "My name is Captain Josh Stone and these two here is Chris Redfield…" He motioned Ash to face Chris who gave the young teen a slow nod, not leaving his gaze off the teen. "…And Sheva Alomar…" Once again, Josh motioned Ash's attention over to Sheva who gave the young teen a quick apology for hitting him over the head with Jill's flowerpot. Ash simply waved it off and telling her that it was okay. It was just a misunderstanding. The young woman smiled at the young teen for being so forgiving. Ash smiled back.

"Anyway, to make things simply, we are the members of Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance or BSAA for short." Chris informed.

"The what…?" Ash said confusedly. Clearly, the young teen didn't have a single clue what were they talking about since he was new to this world and its laws.

Chris, Josh, and Sheva gave the young teen a round of suspicious glances, which started to make Ash feel uncomfortable. He was starting to sweat bullets. "You don't know about the BSAA?" Sheva said in disbelief while hardening her gaze on the sweating teen.

"Uh… well…"

"Not that you mention it…" Josh interrupted as he eyed at the young stranger before him closely. "I don't believe I have seen you around here before, young man. Who are you? It's pretty rare to see a Japanese boy like you in Africa." Josh stated.

"Africa…?" Ash mumbled softly, so no one can hear him. So that's where he is at, somewhere in Africa. Whatever that was. It must be _this _world's name. It probably makes sense if you look at it.

"Not only that…" The young teen quickly snapped his attention right onto Sheva who was apparently staring at his usual scar, which was still on his face. "I have never seen a scar like that before on someone's face."

"Um…" Ash had a feeling what she was referring to. She must be talking about his Aura Scar. The young teen didn't know what to say about it. How can he? Anything he tells to them will cause more suspicion. Therefore, he needs to watch carefully on what he says around them. As long as he doesn't say anything stupid, then everything will be fine. "Uh…"

"All right, kid. We need some answers." Chris demanded with a glare. "Who are you really?"

Oh, boy. The young teen was trapped like a rat. There was no way out of this. He could try lying, but all of the times he did, it didn't turn out too well for him. To make things simply, Ash sucked at lying. The only thing Ash can do now is be honest with them and tell them the truth. But the question is… can they handle the truth?

"Come on, kid. We don't have all day." It appears the former member of S.T.A.R.S. was getting a little impatient and restless with Ash's stalling. "Just fess up already. Who are you? And you better be honest with us." His glare hardened. "If we find out that you were lying to us and working with Irving, then I won't…"

Suddenly, Chris pulled out his handgun pistol and pointed it at the baffled teen who was completely confused on who was this Irving guy Chris was talking about. "…hesitate to point my gun at you and shoot."

"CHRIS!" Sheva scolded her partner, clearly not pleased with him and his behavior, especially of him pointing his gun at an innocent bystander.

"Stand down, Chris!" Josh ordered in a sternly tone. "Can't you see this boy is just a mere innocent bystander? Put your gun down now, Chris. I am not going to tell you twice!"

"What makes you think _that_ kid over there is an innocent bystander?" The former S.T.A.R.S. member argued as he refuses to stand down.

"Chris, be reasonable h-…"

It didn't matter what the dark-skinned woman had to say. Chris was a hothead and he wasn't going to listen to anything what his fellow comrades has to say until he has all the facts that it was all right to trust Ash. "Don't be blind, Sheva. This kid could be working with Irving. For all we know, this kid here is probably pretending to act innocent, in order to draw us off his trail." The angry man debated.

"My friend, you're being par-…"

Before long, the confused key bearer glances back and forth to see the three newcomers arguing among with each other. Ash had no clue what was going on here. Aren't they on the same side? If so, why were arguing against each other? They were friends, right? Sometimes, adults like them can be very difficult to understand.

Anyway, before Ash could get a chance to step in and break up the argument so he can explain himself, Ash suddenly sensed a strong, but familiar presence nearby. It was close, really close like it heading straight towards their direction.

Suddenly, realization came to the young teen. He knows this presence. The presence he was sensing, it belonged to that…

With no time to waste, the young key bearer quickly turned his attention to the arguing trio. He needed to warn his new, but yet strange company fast. Evil was on the move. "EVERYONE, SOM-…"

***BOOM***

The group was completely startled when they heard loud a noise, at the far right end of the house. Immediately, the group turned their heads to see a massive hole. The wall that used to be there was completely destroyed and crumbled. All of its remains were either gone or laying on the floor in chunks. Who could have done this?

There was no time to think about that. Ash and the BSAA members were on their guard when they saw a mass of natives storming in, one by one, like a bunch of maniacs. But that was the least of the group's worries. Slowly coming into their view was the axe-wielding fiend, the Executioner.

"SHIT!" That was all Chris can say before he and his fellow BSSA members unleashed hell by opening fire against the crazed natives.

One by one, each male and female Majin dropped to the ground, death. Unfortunately, more continued to file inside. This looks troublesome. To make matters worst, the Heartless decided to make their presence known. Oh, great. More trouble. This wasn't their day at all.

"SHIT!" Chris cursed again.

The sight of the Heartless causes Ash to step up and lend his allies a hand. After all, it was his duty as a Keyblade wielder to deal with the Heartless.

As Ash got up to his feet and was about to join on the frenzy, Chris suddenly stopped him in his tracks by placing an arm out to prevent the young teen to advance forward. When it comes to protecting the innocent from danger, it was Chris's number one priority, even if the innocent is a boy who he still doesn't trust. The number one priority always comes first before anything.

"Stand back…" The former S.T.A.R.S. member ordered in a sternly tone, avoiding eye contact from the young teen.

"But I can help!" Ash argued, glaring at the stubborn man.

"No. It's too dangerous. The best thing you can do for us now is-…"

"But you don't know what you are up against when it comes to the Heartless." The former prince growled.

"Heartless?" Chris said confusedly. "What are you talking about, kid? You mean those shadowy-looking things?"

"What else? Not those-…"

Before Ash could finish his sentence, the Heartless made their move. They lunged forward at Chris, Sheva, and Josh's blind spot. This looks trouble. The BSAA members didn't have enough time to react against the Heartless's sneak attack.

With no time to waste, the young key bearer quickly summons out his key-like weapon before running in front of the trio. And before long, he swung his blade at the lunging Heartless.

***SWOOSH***

The BSAA members gasped in surprise with dumbfounded look on their faces. What in the heck was Ash holding? Or better yet, where did it come from? There were so many questions with so many little answers. However, this wasn't the time to think about that.

The Shadows who were lunging at Chris and Co.'s blind spot were instantly hurled back from Ash's attack before dissolving into millions of black tiny particles. Soon the young keyblade warrior would turn his attention to remaining Shadows. Once the Heartless were taken care of, Ash quickly turned his attention to the crazed mob who was rushing towards his direction.

In an instant, the former prince unloaded a barrage of aura spheres at them. His attacks collided and sent the screaming natives hurling back from different directions like it was no tomorrow. Chris and his friends were pretty impressed with Ash and his fighting skills. He wasn't half-bad. However, this wasn't the time to be impressed. They needed to support the keyblade wielder as best as they can. They weren't going to let him outshine them.

With Chris, Sheva, and Josh backing him by shooting at the Majinis who were getting in his way, Ash quickly dashes forward at the axe-wielding mastodon. The Executioner swung his intimidating awe at the dashing Aura Master.

Swiftly, Ash sidestepped to the left, dodging out of the striking range. Quickly, the young teen formed an aura sphere within his free hand and slammed it against the Executioner's blind spot. The giant fiend roared in pain. Ash and his opponent soon flew out of Chris and his friends' sights and crashed against another building. The impact causes the building to collapse on top of them.

"Kid!" Chris yelled over the gunfire as a cloud of dust engulfed the spot where Ash and the Executioner crashed. The former S.T.A.R.S. member quickly shoots several bullets at the zombies before running forward with Sheva and Josh trailing right behind him.

However, before they could even inch a little closer to Ash's direction, more Maijins got in their way and blocked their path. "Damn it." Chris cursed angrily. Before long, Chris and his comrades quickly reloaded their pistols before opening fire at the crazy natives once again.

Bursting out of the cloud of dust was Ash. Slowly trailing right behind him was a very, very angry Maijin. The masked fiend was swinging his massive axe like a berserk lunatic, back and forth. Unfortunately, every swing he makes, only meets nothing, but air as Ash was able to dodge each attempt with ease. However, that didn't last too long.

In a sheer pure of rage, the masked fiend swung his massive weapon with so much force that it causes a strong gust of wind to pick up.

In an instant, Ash was hurled back by the sheer force of the wind. As the gust was pushing him back, Ash quickly fired an aura blast from his left hand towards his foe's direction.

***BOOM***

Ash landed on his feet, a few yards away from where the explosion occurred. His attention quickly turned to the spot where he last saw the Executioner, which was replaced by the cloud of smoke. The young teen knows that the monster is still alive. His last attack wasn't strong enough to kill it; all it provided was a distraction and it worked. Now Ash can use this moment to refresh his aura before he can get things started.

Quickly, the Keyblade Master-in-training pulled out the small capsule that was given to him by Merlin. He needed to be cautious when he takes these new Aura Pills. From what Merlin just told him, they are still in the testing stage. The side effects are clearly unknown, but he will take that chance.

As easy as pie, Ash quickly uncorked the cap and took out a blue pill from the capsule before swallowing it. As soon as he did, he quickly pocketed away his pills before standing still for a few seconds, in hopes the pill will kick in once he swallowed it.

Nothing.

Maybe the pill will work if he eases his mind and body, so he did. Ash quickly shut his eyes and relaxes his body.

Still nothing. Or was it?

Suddenly, a surge of energy burst within his soul. The young teen's head and back shot backwards for a brief second before they returned to their regular composures. Immediately, a small blue-looking flame appeared on Ash's head. Not only that, his Aura Scar was now lighting up. The question is… why? That's simple. Not only does Merlin's Aura Pills help restore some of Ash's aura, they can also help him enter into his first Aura Mode stage easier without concentrating on his aura to do so. Sweet.

Quickly, Ash opened his eyes, revealing a pair of light blue eyes. His pupils were now a pair of white flames, flaming up like burning torches. Ash can tell right away what form he was in. He was in his **Hyper Aura Mode** form. '_Cool! Now I have an easier way to go into my __**Hyper Aura Mode **__without wasting any time. Thanks, Merlin!' _Ash looks really pleased with the results. However, this wasn't time to be happy. Didn't he forget that about the Executioner?

On cue, the masked fiend blows away the smoke with a single swing from his massive axe. Once the smoke was cleared, the Executioner growled at Ash before taking a battle stance. Ash did the same.

The battle was on now.

**~ Mid-Boss Battle ~**

**The Executioner**

Ash quickly dashes forward at his opponent. The Executioner takes notice of this and tries to swing his massive at him, horizontal to the right. In a response to that, the young teen easily dodge the shot by vanishing and reappearing behind the axe wielder.

Quickly, the young teen dishes out several blows and combination attacks. Each hit causes the massive zombie to scream in pain. But at the same time, Ash's assaults were getting on the Executioner's nerves. The mastodon endures the blows before swing his massive axe around, in hopes to kill Ash.

Lucky for Ash, he was able to avoid the full force of the Executioner's swing by leaping backwards. Unfortunately, Ash nailed by the strong gust of the aftermath, in the process.

Ash flew back a few yards before recovering from the hit. The young key bearer quickly shook off the cobwebs before dashing forward once again.

As Ash was inching closer, the masked fiend swung his massive weapon over his head and downward at the charging boy. Quickly, the young key bearer seized into a quick halt before slamming his left hand to the ground. Just in the neck of time, a blue aura-like bubble shielded Ash from the deadly blow.

***CLANG***

Sparks fly as the massive axe collided against the bubble shield. The impact causes Ash to grind his teeth together. The mastodon was pressing down more against his shield. The young teen didn't know how long his shield can keep up.

Crack sounds could be heard as the bubble shield was slowly breaking apart. Ash needed to do something and that's what he did. Quickly, Ash poured his will into his shield, in hopes he can reflect the attack right back at the wielder, somehow it did.

Suddenly, the Executioner was thrown off balance when his axe bounced off forcefully against Ash's aura shield. The beastly awe wielder stumbled back a few feet, giving Ash the opportunity to strike.

Quickly, Ash launches forward and dishes out a great deal of hits to the masked fiend, followed by a combination attack.

As the Executioner slowly stumbles back a few inches even further, Ash then fires an aura sphere at him. The aura sphere forces the large opponent to slide back even further before it exploded.

***BOOM***

Suddenly, something new tapped inside Ash's soul. Or better yet, something new tapped within his keyblade. And frankly, something did.

His Two Become One keyblade was glowing in a bright light. Ash didn't know what was going on, but it seems the bright light was flowing into Ash's soul, like he just awakened a new ability or some kind of set of commands. And it appears the mysterious light was telling him to use one of his new commands now, so he can finish off his opponent before his opponent enters into his Berserk Mode. Now's the time to do it before it's too late.

Quickly, Ash concentrate on his focus into his key-like blade and before long, his keyblade split into two separate shorter keyblades. This was awesome. Ash has just awakened one of his four Command Styles, **The Trickster**.

Without wasting anymore of his time, Ash quickly launches forward at his weaken foe. In his new style, the Executioner didn't stand a chance. His speed was twice as fast as before. But at a cost of giving up his strength for speed, which didn't bother Ash one bit.

With no time to waste, the young teen quickly engages with his weaken foe. The battle was clearly one-sided now. No matter how hard the Executioner tries, his attempts were simply no good. Each time he swings his axe, it would just simply faze right through Ash's body. Or better yet, Ash would easily slip around the attempt before taunting the angry axe wielder.

After grueling moments of moving around and dishing out a barrage of nonstop combination attacks with his keyblades, the battle was coming to a close.

Quickly, Ash leaped into the air after avoiding an attack. And soon he would slash down at the axe wielder in an X-formation, signaling the end of the battle.

**~ Victory! ~**

Slowly, the Executioner stumbled backwards a few feet before dropping his weapon and crashing down on his back, death. Ash sighed in relief as his **Trickster** ability wears off. The young teen would soon dropped down to a knee, slightly exhausted from his battle.

"KID!"

The worn out key bearer simply glances over his shoulders to see Chris, Sheva, and Josh running towards him.

Off from the distance, Wesker stood on his location with a sinister smirk on his face. It seems the power-hungry lunatic looks slightly amused with the young key bearer's results. _This boy might be more interesting that I thought._

**A/N: PHEW! Finally done with this chapter! Sorry for the long delay. It was pretty hard to come up with ideas for this chapter. Other than that, I hope you like it. By looking at the poll so far, Sheva will NOT be part of the harem, that's for sure. The same goes with Jill. But don't worry, there will be some brief moments between her and Ash, but not in a romantic way if you were wondering. Too bad. Maybe next time. Anyway, please R & R! Thank you! Until next time, peace out! ^_^**

**P.S. - Thank **_Final Heir_ **for beta reading this and thank **_Tendou Souji_ **for suggesting Ash's Command Styles. I really appreciate their help! ^_^**

**Johan07**


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